Waukesha County, Wisconsin

Infobox U.S. County
county = Waukesha County
state = Wisconsin




map size = 200
founded = 1846
seat = Waukesha | area_total_sq_mi =580
area_land_sq_mi =556
area_water_sq_mi =25
area percentage = 4.29%
census yr = 2000
pop = 360767
density_km2 =251
web = www.waukeshacounty.gov
|

Waukesha County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 360,767. Its county seat is WaukeshaGR|6.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,503 km²), of which, 556 square miles (1,439 km²) of it is land and 25 square miles (65 km²) of it (4.29%) is water.

Lake Country

Due to its multitude of lakes, the northwestern corner of Waukesha County is referred to as "Lake Country" by its local residents. It inlcudes "Pewaukee, Delafield, Hartland, Merton, Nashotah, Chenequa, Okauchee Lake, Oconomowoc, Summit, and Lac La Belle."

Adjacent counties

*Washington County - north
*Ozaukee County - northeast
*Milwaukee County - east
*Racine County - southeast
*Walworth County - southwest
*Jefferson County - west
*Dodge County - northwest

Demographics

USCensusPop
1850= 19258
1860= 26831
1870= 28274
1880= 28957
1890= 44270
1900= 35229
1910= 37100
1920= 42612
1930= 52358
1940= 62744
1950= 85901
1960= 158249
1970= 231365
1980= 280326
1990= 304715
2000= 360767
estimate= 380985
estyear= 2006
estref= [cite web | title = Wisconsin by County - GCT-T1. Population Estimates | work = American FactFinder | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau | accessdate = 2007-04-09 | url = http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US55&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2006_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-2&-_sse=on ]
footnote=Source: U.S. Census [cite paper | author = Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission | title = The Population of Southeastern Wisconsin | version = Technical Report Number 11 (4th Edition) | date = July 2004 | url = http://www.sewrpc.org/publications/techrep/tr-011_population_southeastern_wisconsin.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2007-04-09 ] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 360,767 people, 135,229 households, and 100,475 families residing in the county. The population density was 649 people per square mile (251/km²). There were 140,309 housing units at an average density of 252 per square mile (98/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.77% White, 0.73% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 2.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.5% were of German, 9.2% Polish and 7.7% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.3% spoke English, 2.2% Spanish and 1.2% German as their first language.

There were 135,229 households out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 20.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

Government

Elected Officials

*County Executive: Dan Vrakas (R)
*County Board Chair: James T. Dwyer
*County Clerk: Kathy Nickolaus (R)
*Treasurer: Pamela F. Reeves (R)
*Register of Deeds: Michael Hasslinger (R)
*Clerk of Circuit Court: Carolyn T. Evenson (R)
*District Attorney: Brad Schimel (R)
*Sheriff: Daniel Trawicki (R)

Departments

There are 12 departments in Waukesha County. While most are located in the Administration Center and the county courthouse or in close proximity to these buildings, some departments are located further away.
*AdministrationThe Department of Administration has five divisions that provide administrative services to the county. These divisions include the finance division, the human resources division, the information technology division, the purchasing and risk management division, and the administrative services division.
*Aging and Disability Resource Center"The Aging and Disability Resource Center of Waukesha County (ADRC) is a single access point for publicly funded long term care in Waukesha County. The ADRC provides information, assistance, counseling and supportive services for older adults age 60 and above; caregivers; adults with physical or developmental disabilities; and adults with mental health or substance abuse concerns." [Mission Statement from http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/page.aspx?SetupMetaId=336&id=94]
*Airport
Waukesha County's airport serves both commercial and private aircraft and is supervised by the Airport Commission.
*Corporation Counsel"It is the mission of the Corporation Counsel Office to improve the quality of life for all residents of Waukesha County by facilitating effective policy making and administrative decision making of the County Board and County Executive; to provide for the establishment and enforcement of financial support for needy children and establish care for the mentally ill and elderly infirm; to cooperate in providing stability for dysfunctional families through the Juvenile Court System; to assist in establishing and enforcing land use plans and zoning regulations; to enforce health ordinances; to give sound legal advice to all County Departments, Boards and Commissions to assist them in effectively carrying out their functions; and, to respond to the legal needs of County employees whose function is to provide various governmental services to the Public." [Mission Statement from http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/page.aspx?SetupMetaId=120&id=126]
*Emergency Preparedness"It is the mission of the Department of Emergency Preparedness to ensure that county and local governments have emergency response plans in place with information sharing capabilities to quickly respond to all types of disasters, personal safety and security situations. The essence of the mission is to provide state of the art telecommunications and information technologies, so emergency personnel can provide the highest level of response possible." [Mission Statement from http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/page.aspx?SetupMetaId=136&id=84]
*Federated Library SystemThis department manages a network that connects local public libraries to improve services to citizens.
*Health and Human Services"In partnership with our community, we provide, purchase, and coordinate a wide variety of high-quality prevention, intervention, and protective services in response to public needs and mandates. We are committed to making the best and cost-effective use of resources to promote health, self-sufficiency, and an improved quality of life. We honor the dignity of individuals and families in all our work." [Mission Statement from http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/page.aspx?SetupMetaId=176&id=86]
*Medical ExaminerThe Medical Examiner investigates suspicious deaths or deaths that result from a homicide, suicide, accident, or are otherwise unexplained. This office works closely with law enforcement and public health officials to resolve current issues as well as to generate statistics for the county.
*Parks and Land UseThe Department of Parks and Land Use, or PLU, oversees a wide variety of services. There are six divisions that oversee a wide variety of services. Mission Statement: "The Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use, working through a combination of recreation, education, public cooperation, and regulation is dedicated to fostering the protection, wise use, enhancement, and enjoyment of the county's cultural and natural resources, and to the health of its citizens." The parks division focuses on getting, designing, and maintaining county parks. The planning division administers permits for construction and landscaping activities in the county. The land conservation division works to educate and regulate soil and water issues in the county. Most programs look to control water runoff and soil erosion. The division also works in tandem with state and federal agencies. The recycling and solid waste division oversees the recycling and disposal programs of the county. They also complete educational outreach on topics like composting and waste reduction as well as tours of the county's Material Recycling Facility. The environmental health division inspects animal welfare issues, food safety issues (like inspecting restaurants), and air, water, & sewage safety issues (such as radon testing, well testing, and septic system monitoring). The land information systems division coordinates databases of information into geographic and visual representations of data for land use and development.
*Public Works"The Waukesha County Department of Public Works strives to provide quality infrastructure and services that meet or exceed the needs of our customers." [Mission Statement from http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/page.aspx?SetupMetaId=7416&id=7426]
*University of Wisconsin Extension"The mission of Waukesha County University of Wisconsin Extension is to deliver research based information to improve the quality of life for families in the areas of family living, youth development, community resource development, agriculture, and horticulture. U.W. Extension provides community based education for families, business, government and organizations using non-traditional educational methods." [Mission Statement from http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/waukesha/]
*Veterans"It is the mission of the Waukesha County Department of Veterans’ Services to advocate for and provide assistance to all veterans of the U.S. Armed Services, and their dependents and survivors. We ensure that clients obtain all available and appropriate benefits for which they are entitled. The Department staff is committed to act in a courteous, effective and fiscally responsible manner, maintaining its reputation as one of the top Veterans Service Departments in the State by providing maximum service to its clientele." [Mission Statement from http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/page.aspx?SetupMetaId=314&id=316]

Cities, villages, and towns

:Note- due to a zoning issue, a single acre of Waukesha County was annexed by the City of Milwaukee (which otherwise is fully within Milwaukee County) in 2003 to accommodate the Ambrosia Chocolate Factory. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20030730/ai_n10903144]

Unincorporated communities

*Colgate
*Genesee Depot
*Okauchee Lake
*Stone Bank

References

External links

* [http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/ Waukesha County]