No Tax Payments Collected at M&I Bank

Bayside residents can no longer pay their property taxes at M&I Bank. However, they can head across the street and make that payment at Cornerstone Community Bank this year.

Milwaukee-based M&I Bank was purchased by BMO Harris in 2011 and residents saw the Fox Point branch sign change in early November. But after reaching out to local banks, Village Manager Andy Pederson said Cornerstone Community Bank was the most responsive and will now be collecting property tax payments for Bayside residents.

"It's convenient for people if they're out shopping or doing things out in the area," Pederson said. "If they don't have time to stop into Village Hall, they can stop at the bank and have their property taxes paid."

• To find out what taxes were owed for 2011, check out Bayside's searchable database here.

Pederson said the number of property tax payments made at a bank location instead of at Village Hall are on the rise. Bayside residents were first able to make payments at M&I Bank in 2008 and about 1 percent paid at the bank. That rose to 3 percent the second year, then 5 percent and last year about 10 percent of residents paid at the bank.

While Bayside has an overall population of 4,389 people according to the 2010 census, there are 1,831 families. That means nearly 200 people were heading to the bank to pay their property taxes last year and Pederson said, it pays off for the taxpayer.

"If you go to Village Hall to pay, they will issue you a check and it's probably going to come in a couple of weeks," Pederson said. "But if you pay your taxes at the bank, you get your refund right away. So there's an advantage for the taxpayer to go to the bank to pay it."

If you want to pay your property taxes at Cornerstone Community Bank, you'll just need the tax bill, identification and cash or check. Payments cannot be made by credit card and they can only be made inside the bank, not the drive-thru window.

The Cornerstone Community Bank lobby is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.