Milwaukee Common Council President Jose Perez isn’t having a great few weeks.
The veteran alderman, who recently made an uncharged butt-pinching accusation against a prominent civic leader, was spotted driving an unregistered vehicle to City Hall, two sources told Wisconsin Right Now. After taking key verification steps to assess the information, we wrote Perez’s office and asked, “Hi, we have learned from several sources that Jose Perez is driving an unregistered vehicle, including to City Hall. A check of the plate number confirms it expired in August and can’t be updated until it gets an inspection. Any comment?”
We received no response.
Perhaps ironically, the Milwaukee Common Council, which Perez leads, in November 2025, “raised user and vehicle registration fees.” According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, “In three of the state’s 10 most populous cities, Milwaukee, Madison, and Eau Claire…both the city and county collect a wheel tax.” In other words, the state’s poorest residents really get socked when it comes time to renew their registration stickers. And that’s partly due to the actions of Jose Perez.
In November, the Milwaukee Common Council even jacked up the city’s wheel tax above that requested by Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “The city of Milwaukee first imposed its wheel tax in 2008, at $20, then increased it to $30 in 2021. Mayor Cavalier Johnson proposed increasing it in the 2026 budget, and the city’s Common Council ultimately adopted an $11 increase, bringing it to a total of $41,” wrote the forum.
City records show Perez voting for the increase.
According to WPR, “Milwaukee County also has a wheel tax of $30. If the proposed increase goes into effect in the city, residents would pay $155 in annual registration fees per vehicle.” Make that $156 due to the Common Council’s extra $1.
Sure enough, when we ran Perez’s license plate through the Wisconsin DOT’s website, it turned up as unregistered. The registration for the 2008 black Jeep expired on August 31, 2025. “This plate cannot be renewed until a vehicle inspection has been completed,” wrote DOT.
We have blacked out some of the information relating to Perez’s plate and vehicle for his privacy.
To be honest, many Wisconsinites probably feel Perez’s pain. Emissions testing can be quite a hassle.
A group of Republican legislators (and Democrat Sylvia Ortiz-Velez) recently wrote a letter urging their federal colleagues “to introduce and support legislation repealing the vehicle inspection and maintenance program requirements under the Clean Air Act. As stewards of this earth, we recognize the important duty to care for Wisconsin’s natural beauty and environment.”
They added: “However, the vehicle inspection and maintenance program is no longer useful due to the economic burdens on citizens and technological advancements reducing the need for testing. If successful, this would allow Wisconsin to end this regulatory burden that has been enacted since 1984 on seven southeastern counties.” Disclosure: the letter was co-signed by state Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk, Wisconsin Right Now co-founder.
