Mayor Shawn Reilly is leaving office with a trail of unfinished business — and for many Waukesha residents, the most pressing is the city’s rat problem.

In 2024 alone, the city logged at least 73 rat-related complaints, including an incident where an SUV was declared a total loss after mechanics discovered it was filled with rat feces and wouldn’t start. Residents say infestations are spreading in neighborhoods, but City Hall has done little to help.

“We try to educate, but eradication under our ordinances is the property owner’s responsibility,” Reilly said when pressed on the issue. That deflection has frustrated many in the community. “How many rats do we need to catch as a community per night to start crashing the population?” asked concerned citizen Scott Boris. “I’d like to see the city step in more, or at least provide better guidance.”

Despite repeated complaints, residents say the mayor has not seriously addressed the infestation since early 2024. Critics argue his attention was elsewhere — particularly on politics. (RELATED: Waukesha State Assembly Rep. Earns Police Support Ahead Of Mayoral Race)

Last October, Reilly announced he was abandoning the Republican Party, becoming an Independent, and endorsing Kamala Harris for president. “I feel in my heart that this is something that I need to come out and say: I am going to be voting for Vice President Harris,” he told FOX6 at the time.

Reilly’s shift comes in sharp contrast to Waukesha’s status as one of Wisconsin’s most reliable Republican strongholds, with Donald Trump carrying the city by about 20 points in recent elections. But for residents dealing with rats in their garages, yards, and even cars, Reilly’s political maneuvering is a distraction from the issue gnawing at their daily lives.

Since 2024, the Mayor has not addressed the issue as citizens still complain that rats and rodents are still prominent in their neighborhood. (RELATED: Oconomowoc Alderman Announces Candidacy for Mayor)