According to my stats, this the SPRAWLED OUT's 500th post. Very fitting, given today's news.
At last night's Common Council meeting, two new aldermen were sworn in. Then, one of them (Kristen Wilhelm) nominated the other (Steve Taylor) for council president. Alderman Steve Olson was out of town and could not vote; new alderman Steve Taylor defeated Lyle Sohns, 3-2, and is now Common Council President.
Still think the April 1 election wasn't significant?
It's a sweet coincidence that the council begins it's "rehabilitation" on the very same day that the fringe group Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership officially disbanded as required by a settlement with the state.
As a public service, the small article in todays Journal Sentinel actually lists the members of Franklin's current administration who were associated with the FCRL.
From the article:
Over the next year, the group helped defeat four of the six sitting aldermen - distributing false or exaggerated information in some cases - and replaced them with an FCRL member and supporters of its agenda.
Current city officials affiliated with the group at one time or another include Mayor Tom Taylor, Ald. Steve Olson and Ted Grintjes, who like [fellow FCRL member Jim] Rhiner, sits on three key development committees.
Get the picture?
I met Ted Grintjes and Jim Rhiner on January 4th of last year at 5-Star Coffee; they were evidently there for an informal meeting regarding the city. While both gentlemen were considerate enough to entertain my queries for quite some time when they obviously had other things to discuss that day, I can't say I was inspired by their attitude or rhetoric. They were very much of the "leave the driving to us" school. I left there very pessimistic, thinking, "Are these the guys that I want plotting development in the city where I live?"
Bottom Line: If we truly want to ignite some positive change, look for needed turnover on Franklin's development committees- - unelected positions - - in the very near future to augment the new Common Council.
From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Franklin citizens group disbands
Action was part of settlement with state
By ANNYSA JOHNSON
anjohnson@journalsentinel.comPosted: April 15, 2008
Franklin - An early off-shoot of Citizens for Responsible Government, the now-statewide group that has backed recalls in communities throughout Wisconsin, formally disbanded Tuesday, more than a year after agreeing to do so as part of a settlement with the state over campaign finance violations.
James Rhiner, treasurer of Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership, which brought down an alderman and helped usher in a more development-friendly Common Council in this Milwaukee County suburb, filed the dissolution papers with the Franklin city clerk around 3:10 p.m., about an hour after being questioned by a reporter about the delay.
"I've been very, very busy with my business," said Rhiner, a commercial lighting consultant who sits on three key development committees in the city.
Rhiner signed a settlement agreement with the Milwaukee County district attorney's office in December 2006, agreeing on behalf of the political action committee to forfeit the balance of its funds, $64.38, and to disband.
The district attorney had filed civil charges a year earlier accusing the group and then-Treasurer James Seymer, son of CRG founding member Orville Seymer of Franklin, of filing a false registration statement and failing to accurately record how much money it collected and spent.
The PAC, which included past and current elected officials and members of influential committees, emerged in 2003 saying it intended to recall then-Ald. Basil Ryan and anyone else members viewed as blocking the city's economic development efforts.
Over the next year, the group helped defeat four of the six sitting aldermen - distributing false or exaggerated information in some cases - and replaced them with an FCRL member and supporters of its agenda.
Current city officials affiliated with the group at one time or another include Mayor Tom Taylor, Ald. Steve Olson and Ted Grintjes, who like Rhiner, sits on three key development committees.
Ryan, who lost to Taylor in the April 1 mayoral race, initiated both the original complaint against the group and the effort to force Rhiner to comply with the agreement, by alerting the district attorney's office.
The allegation was part of an unrelated complaint Ryan filed in March accusing Taylor of using city personnel to gather information for his mayoral campaign.
Taylor denied the allegation, and Assistant District Attorney Bruce Langdorf said a review is pending.
I think Common Council meetings are going to be more interesting in the days to come. Already at this meeting, there was a taste of Kristen Wilhelm's ecofriendly questions on several development issues that came up for a vote at her first meeting.
I like it.
Posted by: Bryan Maersch | April 16, 2008 at 01:45 PM
Who voted for who for Council President? I assume Wilhelm and Taylor voted for Taylor, and Sohns voted for Sohns. Who did Solomon and Skwronski vote for?
Posted by: Raymond | April 16, 2008 at 01:55 PM
Since Solomon nominated Sohns, I would assume he voted likewise. That would mean Skowronski was the third vote for Taylor
Posted by: Scott Thinnes | April 16, 2008 at 02:47 PM
I agree, though it was silent ballot, so one can only conjecture.
Posted by: John Michlig | April 16, 2008 at 03:03 PM
John,
Congrats on your 500th!
Wilhelm was also taxpayer aware last night. I don't care if the new Aldermen question every proposal that comes up before they vote.
It's time for Rhiner and Grintjes to get their hands out of so many committees.
And before the election, Basil Ryan showed me the formal complaint he filed against Mayor Taylor regarding city personnel. He could have plastered that around publically. But he didn't want to. Again, he didn't want to play dirty. He took the high road.
Posted by: Janet Evans | April 16, 2008 at 07:14 PM