View source for City treasurer election in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2020)

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<metadesc>Incumbent City Treasurer Spencer Coggs defeated Brandon Methu in the general election for city treasurer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 7, 2020. Coggs received 66.8% of the vote to Methu's 32.9%.</metadesc>
<section begin=intro/>Incumbent City Treasurer [[Spencer Coggs]] defeated [[Brandon Methu]] in the general election for city treasurer of [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], on '''April 7, 2020'''. According to results released April 13, Coggs received 66.8% of the vote to Methu's 32.9%.<ref name=Results>[https://city.milwaukee.gov/ElectionResults1717.htm#.XpXEA6vQiUm ''Official Website of the City of Milwaukee'', "Latest Election Results," accessed April 13, 2020]</ref> 

{{Greener|start=4/7/2020 8:00pm CDT|before=Coggs has held elected office since 1982, while this is Methu's first run for office.|after=Coggs had held elected office since 1982, while this was Methu's first run for office.}}

Coggs was first elected city treasurer in 2012, receiving 50.3% of the vote to Tim Carpenter's 49.3%. Coggs was re-elected in 2016 with 72% of the vote.<ref>[https://city.milwaukee.gov/ElectionResultsArchive#.XoYRxYhKhPZ ''City of Milwaukee'', "Election Results Archive: April 5, 2016 and April 3, 2012," accessed April 2, 2020]</ref> He was a [[Democratic]] member of the [[Wisconsin State Senate]] representing District 6 from 2003 to 2013. He also served in the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]] from 1982 to 2002.<ref>[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=3478 Project Vote Smart - Senator Coggs]</ref>

Methu founded OpportunityCrowd, a real estate investment platform. {{Greener|start=4/7/2020 8:00pm CDT|before=He is a real estate investor for a commercial real estate firm in Milwaukee, and he has served as a member of Milwaukee's Board of Review since 2018.|after=As of his 2020 campaign, he was a real estate investor for a commercial real estate firm in Milwaukee, and he served as a member of Milwaukee's Board of Review since 2018.}} The board is appointed by the mayor and is responsible for correcting property assessment errors.<ref name=js>[https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/03/27/milwaukee-elections-race-city-treasurer-battle-generations/2911665001/ ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', "Spencer Coggs vs. Brandon Methu: Race for Milwaukee City treasurer is a battle of generations," March 27, 2020]</ref><ref name=linkedin>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-methu-92383b2a/ ''LinkedIn'', "Brandon Methu," accessed March 31, 2020]</ref><ref>[https://city.milwaukee.gov/BoardofReview850.htm#.XoYQgohKhPY ''City of Milwaukee'', "Assessor's Office, Board of Review," accessed April 2, 2020]</ref><section end=intro/>

Click on candidate names below to view statements about their experience and their goals in office.

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<td align="center" colspan="5"><html><img class="circle" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Coggs_spencer.jpg" width="125px" style="float:left"></html><br>'''[[#Coggs|Coggs]]'''</td>
<td align="center" colspan="5"><html><img class="circle" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Methu.jpeg" width="125px" style="float:left"></html><br>'''[[#Methu|Methu]]'''</td>
</tr></table>
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Milwaukee {{Greener|start=4/7/2020 8:00pm CDT|before=is also holding|after=also held}} general elections for mayor, city attorney, city comptroller, and all 15 common council members on April 7, 2020. 

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'''Click [[City elections in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2020)|here]] for coverage of other city elections in Milwaukee.'''</div><br>

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==Candidates and election results==
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==Election changes in response to coronavirus==
::''See also: [[Changes to Wisconsin's spring elections in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020]]''
On April 6, 2020, the Wisconsin state supreme court voted 4-2 to enjoin an executive order issued earlier in the day by Governor Tony Evers (D) postponing in-person voting in the spring election, scheduled for April 7, 2020, to June 9, 2020. As a result, in-person voting took place as scheduled on April 7, 2020. Also on April 6, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States voted 5-4 to stay a district court order that had extended the absentee voting deadline. As a result, the absentee ballot postmark and return deadlines were reinstated to April 7, 2020.<ref name=ElectionDelay/> Click [[Changes to Wisconsin's spring elections in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020|'''here''']] for more.

==What does the city treasurer do?==
The City of Milwaukee website describes the city treasurer as the "chief revenue collection and investment officer." It lists the following as the treasurer's primary responsibilities:<ref>[https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/treasurerAuthors/DepartmentMission.pdf ''City of Milwaukee'', "Office of the City Treasurer, Department Mission," accessed April 2, 2020]</ref>

{{quote|
*Receiving and accounting for all monies paid to the City.
*Making disbursements that have been vouchered for payment by the City Comptroller.
*Managing and investing City funds not needed to meet current expenditures.
*Collecting all property taxes levied by the respective taxing jurisdictions within the City of Milwaukee.
*Collecting the delinquent property taxes of all taxing jurisdictions within the City of Milwaukee.
*Settling property tax levy collections on a pro-rata basis with the other taxing jurisdictions within the City of Milwaukee and remitting to each their share of the monies collected.}}

==Why {{Greener|start=4/7/2020 8:00pm CDT|before=they're running|after=they ran}}==
Candidates' statements on their experience and goals are presented below.
===Coggs=== 
::''See also: [https://www.spencercoggstreasurer.com/ Coggs' 2020 campaign website]''
====Campaign mailer====
A mailer from Coggs' campaign stated the following as accomplishments of his time in the treasurer's office:<ref>[https://milwaukeecourieronline.com/index.php/2020/03/28/re-elect-spencer-coggs-for-milwaukee-city-treasurer-on-april-7-2/ ''Milwaukee Courier'', "Re-Elect Spencer Coggs for Milwaukee City Treasurer on April 7," March 28, 2020]</ref>
{{quote|
*Stabilized Milwaukee neighborhoods by dealing with abandoned houses
*Ended long lines with new payment options
*Modernized the Treasurer's office to protect our system's integrity}}
====''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel''====
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' quoted Coggs as stating the following:<ref name=js/>

{{quote|
I came in and wanted to make sure that not many people were getting foreclosed on and with the changes that we made, we’ve done that. ... The foreclosure rate has gone down and the redemption rate has gone up. In 2015, only 38% of people who were being foreclosed on were able to save their homes. Now, last year in 2019, it’s up to 58%. We’re making progress.}}

{{quote|
There are a number of neighborhoods that I would love to be more stable, but they have abandoned or vacant homes and sometimes it’s a blight on the neighborhood. ... [The city council and treasurer's office] should be working more closely together because they get a number of calls from people and then they call us. It would be great to have a coordinated effort from the beginning.}}

{{quote|
We have relationship with a group called Take Root Milwaukee and they talk to people about the problems they have paying their property taxes. ... One of my pledges for the upcoming term is to work more closely with Take Root Milwaukee so that we can get ahead of the curve.}}

===Methu===
::''See also: [https://www.methuformke.com/ Methu's 2020 campaign website]''
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====''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel''====
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' quoted Methu as stating the following:<ref name=js/>

{{quote|
During my time reviewing these startling cases [on the Board of Review], I learned that Milwaukee was evicting longtime residents from their community under the guise of increasing assessments. ... However, unlike evictions from a rental unit, there are very few legal resources available to homeowners faced with this burden.}}

{{quote|
“Government and also my time in real estate, women just don’t get a fair shake. ... They’re mistreated, especially in government positions. As someone who values women as well as minorities, I want to make it clear that if elected I would create a workplace that allows them to thrive which I don’t think they’ve experienced up to this point in the city of Milwaukee and really the city treasurer’s office as well.}}

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==Additional elections on the ballot==
::''See also: [[Wisconsin elections, 2020]]''
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==About the city==
{{About Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2020}}
{{Wi pivot counties overview}}

==See also==
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|County=Milwaukee County
|State=Wisconsin
|Year=2020
|Past=2019
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==External links==
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* [https://city.milwaukee.gov/ Milwaukee, Wisconsin]
==Footnotes==
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[[Category:Municipal elections, 2020]]
[[Category:Marquee, completed election, 2020]]