Tag Archives: Kristen Wilhelm

Mayor Tom Taylor – The Master of Redirection

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Given  Mayor Tom Taylor’s political past not only as an Alderman and Mayor or as a Milwaukee County employee, it is no surprise that he is so proficient at the Art of Redirection. When tax paying citizen writers of  local interest blogs (yes – his constituents) are mocked by both the Mayor and his hand picked Council President in a public meeting for showing opposition to the Mayors budget passed by 5 out of the 6 Council members is just bad political behavior.

In this posting you will see just how at the December 7, 2010 Common Council meeting your current Mayor Tom (YouTube ©) Taylor redirects the fact that for a second year the Mayor has raised taxes in the City of Franklin, WI.  He fills his political speech with disdain for anyone who does not sing the praises about EVERYTHING in Franklin. He blames local blogs for negative misinformation and claims they are the cause of the difficulties the City of Franklin , has had in getting development rolling again.

What is obvious is that Tom Taylor is unlike Mayor Dick Bolender of Oak Creek who has taken the bull by the horns while Oak Creek flourishes with development and full malls.  Mayor Tom Taylor now looks for excuses, as he is up for re-election and has little to take credit for in the past three years except for Higher Tax Bills, major companies like Harley Davidson moving out Franklin along with half empty strip malls and a failed Fountains of Franklin development. I guess what he says is true that it is all about elections (who wins and who looses) only now that the Mayor is up for re-election with his Kindergarten Politics to blame.

In all fairness, I am including the complete audio portion of Item G10 Comparison of municipal property tax rates and other municipal charges.

Mayor Tom Taylor on How Great Franklin is and no one should say anything negative about Franklin:

  • We should be on the rooftops shouting how great Franklin is instead of the negativity about taxes.

  • The Mayor finally in 2010 put together the Mayor Ad hoc Committee to get development back in Franklin. This just happens to correspond with the year of his re-election bid.

  • “There should be NO NEGATIVITY in this community – We have a fantastic community!”

  • I had foreign nationals from South Milwaukee at the Christmas Tree lighting say that “They all want to move to Franklin!”

  • The Mayor blames the Franklin Public Schools for the higher Taxes not the Oak Creek – Franklin Public Schools.

  • The Mayor feels he can speak for Northwestern Mutual’s Chief council. I do not think she would appreciate that!

 

Council President Steve Taylor tells us “If You Don’t like Franklin then Get the Hell out!”

Sorry Steve but I like Franklin just fine and I have for the 21 plus years I have lived here, I just don’t like the things you have voted for that have consistently  raised my taxes. You have been able to screw things up with the 4 short years you have lived here!

  • The Press doesn’t  cover the City of Franklin anymore. Just a few negative individuals.
  • Nobody comes up to him at baseball games, St. Martins Fair or ribbon cutting telling him that taxes are too high. I guess those same people told him that they wanted a full time Mayor!
  • There are only a handful of people that think Franklin is a Tax Hell.
  • If you GOOGLE Franklin you won’t find anything positive just that it is a Tax Hell. This is the fault of those few bloggers. (Which he is one of them)

 

Alderman Tim Solomon – “Read My Blog Baby” 

  • Is this the Kindergarten Politics the Mayor talks about?
  • 85% of City Taxes goes for Police, Fire and DPW (what about the other 15%?)
  • Without Development your taxes will go up. What have you done Tim to reverse that trend?
  • “The Apathy OBVIOUSLY is that it is a good city to live in!” It is if you can just ignore your tax bill!
  • Alderman Tim says no one is complaining to him at baseball games, and social gatherings so everything  is Okey Dokey!

Kristen Wilhelm our 3rd District Alderwoman

  • Now completing her second year on the Finance Committee
  • Can’t expect taxes to go down.

Ken Skowronski – 6th District Alderman

  • Property Taxes are a small part of the decision for Business to move to Franklin
  • They (developers) just don’t want to be beat up by all the paperwork required by the city.

 

Alderman Doug Schmidt – 5th District – Taxes! – We don’t have anything to be ashamed of!

  • Doug has difficulty following the actual subject being discussed (property tax comparisons) so he talks about what he knows. Franklin’s Historical Society.
  • People come from all over to celebrate Christmas in our historic chapel – Not for the taxes silly!

Steve Olson – 1st District Alderman – Lets pay attention to what we are doing!

  • The only Alderman to find ways to cut property taxes.
  • Tax Rates are misleading.
  • Lets pay attention to WHAT WE ARE DOING and then move on.
  • Let’s not worry about selling our Tax Rate ,our bloggers or what people are writing.
  • Let’s just go sell our city just as we have done for 54 years. We have clean open land, we are a welcoming community, we’ve got Great Residents, a good School System and we want to work with you!

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Spring Elections 2011

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I have had conversations with quite a few people interested in putting themselves out for the Spring 2011 elections. Whether it is candidates for the County Executive, Franklin Mayor, Alderman in the 3rd, 4th or 6th district or for the 2 School Board seats in Franklin Public School district. Let’s not forget the one seat on the Oak Creek – Franklin School board also.

I could tell you what I have heard. But ….

But it would be just what it is – RUMORS:

So when it is official,  that being the final date for filing nomination papers 5:00 p.m. on January 4, 2011, except that this final date may be extended 72 hours if the incumbent does not file a Notice of Noncandidacy and does not file nomination papers for that office.

Until then it is all speculation or just RUMORS!

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Franklin’s Tax budget and your Elected Officials – A Video Blog

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On November 16, 2010 at Franklin’s Common Council meeting Alderman Tim Solomon (who heads the Finance committee) moved to adopt the budget which will result in a 2.6 to 2.7 percent increase.

This is the video highlights of that meeting:

1) The Motion and the Vote:

 

2) Alderman Tim Solomon (we are not doing so bad) – The Doom and Gloom Nay-sayers are wrong!

What Alderman Solomon fails to mention in his tirade is that in the budget there’s a line item called “Anticipated Underexpenditures.” which is a negative expense line. It’s a way to increase the tax levy on the revenue side to give the Mayor a pad if the spending goes crazy in the next couple of years. In other words it gives city departments extra money that the city does not really expect them to spend.

Part of the recovery this year was that that line item was REDUCED mid year which covered some of the anticipated losses.  Hence the $1,000,000 plus item that Alderman Solomon spoke of.

The bottom line, that has been argued by Alderman Olson in the past along with former Alderman Sohns during his tenure … THE CITY JUST BUDGETS TOO MUCH.

3) Alderman Steve Taylor is willing to bet the April 2011 election on his vote – Because angry constituents don’t vote! – He stands by the increase in the tax Levy while his couch potato constituents just sit home and watch basketball.

4) Alderman Doug Schmidt. Like a deer in the headlights.  Well he’s OK with Luxury Tax’s. In fact he’s OK with all taxes! Confused – Doug is! Nobody mentioned the Library and he doesn’t know that it can’t be touched by law. Sorry Doug … Next time think before you babble!

Lastly – Alderman Olson explains why he introduced 6 resolutions in an attempt to reduce the budget.

He goes into his disgust for the lack of effort on the part of his fellow Aldermen when it comes to making an effort to reduce spending. Not to mention how residents have all but given up on their elected officials to use common sense after they should have gotten the message from voters in November that “They are mad as hell and are not going to take it any more!”

Alderpersons Wilhelm and Skowronski had little or nothing to say to explain their vote and pulled out their rubber AYE stamp.

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Mayor Steve Olson? Does Mayor Tom Taylor think so?

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This was a question that was posed by liberal Democrat blogger Greg Kowalski after he lost to Steve Olson in the April 2010 1st Aldermanic election. Since then, more things seem to be falling into place that substantiate what Greg implied those many months ago. That Steve Olson may run for Mayor of Franklin!

I would say that it may have started with the endorsement that Alderman Steve Olson received from then County Executive Scott Walker (now Governor elect) that might have gotten Steve interested. It could be that Steve is now very frustrated with the lack interest and effort that the Mayor Taylor and the 5 other members of the Franklin’s Common Council’s along with how little work they have done to work to bring taxes in line with the economy with their mantra being “City Taxes are not so bad, in fact they are responsible“. 

Especially interesting is the fact that Alderman Olson brought forward six resolutions to bring spending into line and only two received a second so the last four were not even discussed. Common Council President Steve Taylor went as far as saying that those people who complain about taxes don’t even vote while observing the poor turnout in the April 2010 election.  He said he would take his chances in April 2011 when he comes up for re-election and his vote to support tax increases for property taxes.  I feel quite confident many former incumbents said the same type of rhetoric before they loss so terribly this past November election.

Lets see what Mayor Taylor had to say:

Related Reading : County Executive Thomas M. Taylor - Battle Joined

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Expect an 2.999% increase in the City’s Property Tax budget ……

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…… along with the 2.95% increase you saw from the Franklin Public School System.


In Kevin Fischers blog on FranklinNOW Alderman Steve Olson relays the lack of interest by all council members to consider any cuts needed to bring the increase in property taxes as close to zero as possible.

Alderman  Olson states:

At the joint Common Council/Finance Committee meeting last week I made several motions in an effort to reduce the $600,000 in increased spending. Of this $600k, about $250,000 pays for the Firefighter and two Police officers that were added back in last year.

I wanted A position in the planning department cut (restoring the recommendation by the Mayor) saving approximately $70,000 depending on the position that would be cut. Being a bureaucracy, the most junior member of the staff was originally selected. That motion was seconded by Ald. Taylor who later rescinded his second. Eventually, a motion was made to direct the Mayor to find that amount of money elsewhere (not in addition) in the budget and to retain the position, “just in case the economy turns around and we need the help.” The motion passed 5-1 (my no vote).

I made a motion to remove one light equipment operator from the DPW (recommended to be added). Motion died due to lack of second.

I wanted a discussion of what programs that we could do without. No response. I wanted a discussion of possible cuts to the Health Department. No response.

There is no appetite on the Franklin Common Council (the other members) to even attempt a 0% levy increase much less a decrease.

One other thing. There’s a $1,000,000 capitol budget line item for a future year for “Community Recreation Center.” We’re constantly told “it’s just a place holder and nothing will happen until the council approves the spending. Just like the air raid (tornado) sirens.

If there are no citizens in the chambers on 11/16 speaking for cuts then we’ll experience another 3% increase in spending just as promised.

Please enjoy this video of the 2008 Mayoral Debate Forum and see how then Mayor Tom Taylor (candidate for re-election) gave us a peek into how he would curb taxes for the next three years.

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