Checks.
Milwaukee City Charter § 3-27
in effect3-27. Checks.
1. The common council of the city of Milwaukee may by resolution designate funds deposited by the city with any bank or banking association which shall be drawn out in one or more of the following methods, as stated in such resolution, to-wit:
a. By checks signed personally by the said treasurer or the deputy treasurer appointed pursuant to the provisions of s. 3-15 and countersigned personally by the comptroller of said city or the deputy comptroller of said city appointed pursuant to the provisions of said section; or,
b. By checks bearing the printed or stamped facsimile signature of said treasurer, adopted by him as a facsimile signature, and countersigned personally by said comptroller or deputy comptroller; or,
c. By checks signed personally by the said treasurer or deputy treasurer, and bearing the printed or stamped facsimile signature of said comptroller adopted by him as a facsimile countersignature; or,
d. By checks bearing the printed or stamped facsimile signature of said treasurer or of said deputy treasurer, adopted by him as a facsimile signature, and bearing the printed or stamped facsimile signature of said comptroller or of said deputy comptroller, adopted by him as a facsimile countersignature.
2. Before any facsimile signature shall be used as above provided, a specimen of same, duly certified by the officer of whose signature it is a facsimile, shall be filed in the office of the clerk of said city.
3. Any bank or banking association permitting the withdrawal of such funds by checks bearing or purporting to bear facsimile signatures as aforesaid, in accordance with the resolution of said common council, shall be fully warranted and protected in making payment upon any such check and said city waives any and all claims against said bank on account thereof, if the facsimile signature or signatures thereon resemble the facsimile signature adopted and filed by the said treasurer, or deputy treasurer, or the facsimile countersignature adopted and filed by said comptroller, or deputy comptroller, as the case may be, notwithstanding that said facsimile or purported facsimile signature or signatures may have been placed on such checks by some person without authority, or otherwise wrongfully using the mechanism of the treasurer or his deputy or the comptroller, or his deputy, or other mechanism, to print, stamp, or affix said facsimile or purported facsimile signature or signatures; unless said bank or banking association, in making such payment, shall not have acted in good faith or shall have failed to use the same diligence inspecting such checks before paying the same as is used by banks in said city in inspecting checks to pay bearing handwritten signatures. (S. 1, 2 and 3, Ch. Ord. 108, Jan. 2, 1940.)
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/CH3.pdf#page=8Fetched: 10/26/2026