The Comptroller's Office is open to the public.  Please note the following for assistance with common requests.

All active employees have a payroll clerk assigned to their department.  For questions regarding pay, taxes, and deductions, please contact your manager or departmental payroll clerk.

For W-2’s, Direct Deposit, W-4 (Federal Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate), and WT-4 (Employee’s Wisconsin Withholding Exemption Certificate), employees are encouraged to access Self-Service: www.milwaukee.gov/selfservice.

For garnishments, child support or other court-ordered deductions, please contact the garnishment hotline at 414-286-2492.

For employment verifications, please contact the Department of Employee Relations by sending your request to [email protected]

All other requests, please e-mail Payroll Administration at [email protected]. 

Contracts requiring signature should be left outside of the reception area of the Comptroller’s Office.  A cart will be provided with a designated area for placing unsigned contracts.  Please use the sign in sheet and allow 1-2 business days for signatures.  Signed contracts will be available on the same cart in a separate designated area.

Office of the Comptroller 

Aycha Sawa was elected April 7, 2020. Prior to becoming Comptroller, she served the City as Deputy Comptroller for three years.  She started in the Comptroller’s office as an auditor hired in July 2010, moving up to Audit Manager and then Accounting Director.  She was sworn in as Deputy Comptroller in 2017. Before that, she worked for Baker Tilly auditing various governments, and as an auditor for the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation. She has, at the time of her election, 14 years of government auditing, accounting and management experience. Comptroller Sawa is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. As such, she is professionally committed to, and thus will lead the Comptroller's office, with a code of ethics that promises to transcend political will; standards that require integrity, independence, and accuracy. The Comptroller's office is dedicated to putting the City of Milwaukee's residents first. Aycha holds an Accounting Bachelors of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison (2006). After 150 college credits and 4 exams later, she received her CPA in 2010. Additionally, after 3 more exams, she received her auditing certification (CIA) in 2015.

Highlights:

The Comptroller is the City's chief financial officer and serves a four year term. Under State statute and City charter, Sawa is empowered to administer the City's financial affairs. Her Office exercises fiscal control over the activities of approximately 40 City departments and agencies. As City Comptroller, Sawa serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Center District. She is a member of the City's Deferred Compensation Board and the Secretary to the Public Debt Commission, and a member of the Annuity and Pension Board.

• City bond rating remains investment grade: A by Fitch Ratings; A- by S&P Global Ratings.
• Establishes accounting policies and procedures for all city departments. Prepares the City of Milwaukee's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the State of Wisconsin Report (Form B) which helps determine the State shared revenues.
• Issues an Annual City of Milwaukee Comparative Revenue & Expenditure Report. The report compares Milwaukee to nine other large City governments.
• Manages of the $1 billion City Debt program. Oversees periodic refinancing of city debt to take advantage of any available lower interest rates and save taxpayers interest costs.
• Cash flow borrowing generates as much as $2 million annually in additional interest earnings.
• Operational, financial and legal compliance audits of City department operations including Dept. of Public Works inventory, Fire Dept. Service billings, and computer network security Audits. The Comptroller also provides an independent financial assessment of all proposed Tax Incremental (economic development) Districts.
• Fiscal administration of the City's Community Development Block Grant program and all federal and state grants to Milwaukee, in excess of $82 million in 2016. Preparation of the City's Single Audit Report.
• Administration of direct deposit pay for over 6,500 City employees.
• Production of approximately 185,000 payroll documents annually for City employees, and maintenance of the City's integrated payroll system.
• Independent financial analysis of proposed development projects. Such analyses have resulted in higher returns on city economic development investments while lowering financial risks.
• Independent, professional estimation of City revenues for the annual City Budget.