Private Transportation Reimbursement.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 350-183
in effect350-183. Private Transportation Reimbursement.
1. AUTHORIZATION. Proper city officers are authorized to reimburse city officials and employees occupying positions designated in the positions ordinance as being eligible to be paid for the use of their private automobiles on city business when at the discretion of the department head it is necessary that such automobiles be used on city business. Departments shall adhere to the administrative guidelines for automobile and travel allowance.
2. REIMBURSEMENT. Reimbursement is to be made from funds available to the respective departments for bills rendered, audited and certified for payment as are other bills of the city.
3. MILEAGE REPORT. The authorized employee or official incurring mileage on his or her private automobile in the conduct of official business for the city shall submit a record of mileage incurred on city business during the month and attest to the accuracy of the mileage through the online program "City Time" and comply with a specific timetable for entering the data and for approval by the department head or designee that has been provided by the comptroller's office. The applicable rate for mileage shall be the IRS travel reimbursement rate.
4. APPROVAL. a. The department head of the agency for which the private automobile expense was incurred shall approve and attest to the accuracy and reasonableness of each mileage report submitted.
b. All private automobile reimbursement payments to employees exceeding 1,000 miles monthly shall be concurred by the finance and personnel committee before payment is made.
5. INSURANCE. The authorized employee or official using his private automobile in the conduct of city business shall have at least the minimum insurance coverage prescribed by state law and shall have declared the use of his automobile on city business to his insurance company to protect the city's interests. It shall be the responsibility of his department head to see that the employee is adequately covered by such insurance before he approves the use of a private vehicle on city business and reimbursement for such use.
6. POSITIONS AUTHORIZED. In the event that a position for which private automobile reimbursement is authorized is filled by an incumbent classified at a lower level, private automobile reimbursement is authorized under the same conditions that apply to the authorized positions.
7. RATES. Unless stated otherwise in a certified collective bargaining agreement while it is in force and in effect, mileage incurred on official city business by an employee or official authorized to be reimbursed for use of his or her private automobile, excluding members of the common council who shall be reimbursed as provided for in sub. 8-a, shall be made once per month based on the internal revenue service standard mileage rate in effect for each mile driven on official city business.
8. COMMON COUNCIL MEMBERS. a. In order to provide transportation which is necessary and essential to the discharge of the official duties of the members of the common council, each member shall be entitled to a monthly payment. This payment shall not be made if during the month the member has not attended any of the scheduled meetings of the council, unless excused by the council president, and has not attended any of the scheduled meetings of the standing committees to which the member is appointed, unless excused by the committee chair.
b. The monthly rate shall be indexed annually on the basis of the private transportation component of the Consumer Price Index's U.S. City Average for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The monthly transportation rate shall be increased or decreased (rounded to the nearest dollar) on the basis of the percentage change (calculated to the nearest 1/10th of 1%) in the annual average index numbers for the immediately preceding two calendar years.
9. EXCEPTIONS. Employees or officials who make occasional, non-routine trips outside the city on official business, but who are not specifically authorized by title in the positions ordinance to be reimbursed for private automobile mileage incurred on city business shall be covered by the following provisions:
a. City officers shall, upon presentations of properly certified statements, reimburse employees or officials for properly authorized travel at the rates specified in sub. 7, except that on trips of less than 50 miles one-way (100 miles round-trip), mileage reimbursement shall not be provided unless otherwise approved.
b. If one person is traveling by car, the reimbursement for mileage shall not exceed coach air fare for the same trip; or, if 2 or more persons travel together in one car, reimbursement shall be for actual miles traveled in accordance with the schedule in sub. 7 and shall be paid to only one person traveling in the car.
c. On trips over 500 miles to destination, if 2 or more persons travel together in one car, the person (or persons) not granted mileage reimbursement may be reimbursed for up to 2 additional days for hotel and miscellaneous expenses upon filing properly certified statements. This reimbursement shall not exceed coach air fare.
d. If the conveyance is by means other than private automobile, reimbursement shall be on the basis of actual transportation expenses incurred.
e. The private automobile of the employee or official shall be covered by insurance as required in sub. 5.
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/Volume-3/CH350-sub8.pdf#page=4Fetched: 10/26/2026