JS Online: Franklin mayor accused of using city employee to work on re-election on city time

On the scandal meter, I'd put this pretty low. Sounds like a misappropriation of already-scarce city resources at best - - and certainly worth public note and rebuke if true - - but nothing Nixonian (or even Bushian, for that matter).

The information that Mayor Taylor requested was available to anyone who asks for it and/or knows where to look; problem is, city finance director Calvin Patterson works on our dime and cannot be delegated to partisan efforts in a campaign for city office.

However, it's interesting that Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership once again gets unflattering ink. Had the internet and citizen-authored blogs been as pervasive then as they are now, that group would not have survived with a shred of credibility beyond their first Xerox'ed flier. Try to find a former FCRL member willing to readily admit their involvement in that mess.

You can see the full complaint here: Download taylorcomplainta.pdf

See also Janet Evans's FranklinNow blog, and a rather breathless report at Franklin Today.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Prosecutors on Monday filed a civil forfeiture action against Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor, claiming he improperly had the city’s finance director do research work for Taylor’s re-election campaign on city time.

The State of Wisconsin is listed as the plaintiff on the $2,000 claim filed by Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf. Taylor’s campaign committee is also listed as a defendant.

According to the claim, Taylor asked finance director Calvin Patterson “to provide information that would be useful in responding to” a flier by his opponent in this past April’s election, former Franklin Ald. Basil Ryan. The flier stated that during the “Taylor Years” — 2005 to 2008 — city property tax levies and expenditures “rose significantly.”

The claim further alleges that Patterson provided Taylor with information on city tax levies and expenditures during Ryan’s term on the City Council.

It also noted that Patterson provided Taylor a copy of council minutes that indicated Ryan was absent for the vote on the 2004 city budget.

Taylor used the information on his campaign Web site to respond to Ryan’s flier, according to the claim.

Reached at home Monday evening, Taylor said he asked Patterson to determine if the information on Ryan’s flier was correct.

He said he did not ask Patterson to check whether Ryan was present for the vote on the 2004 budget but admitted using the information provided by Patterson on his campaign Web site.

Taylor’s attorney Dan Kelly said he did not believe Taylor’s actions violated the law.

Reached by telephone Monday evening, Patterson declined to comment.

Landgraf said his office looked into Taylor’s actions at the request of Ryan’s attorney, Paul Bucher.

Ryan was ousted in a 2003 recall election initiated by Franklin Citizens for Responsible Leadership, an early offshoot of Citizens for Responsible Government.

Taylor, who served as a Franklin alderman from 1999 to 2002, had been a member of the Franklin citizens group.

Comments

[Greg]

"Breathless," John? Sorry for taking the wind outta you!

Anyways, I think the big point omitted so far is the fact that this is truly ongoing with the Mayor. As I noted on my blog, controversy and "scandal" seems to be the Mayor's best friend.

You got the county pension scandal, an alderman openly stating he's suppressing information from the public and violating State law, and now this.

I mean c'mon, what's next in this saga, and how much more can the Franklin people take before saying enough's enough?

[john]

Once you exclaim "Holy crap!", it is reasonable to characterize the item as "breathless," don't you think?

[Greg]

This is definitely a holy crap moment, John. 125% holy crappage.

[Bryan Maersch]

John

I think this time you must sit down with Greg and a taser to make him watch "Citizen Kane"!

[john]

You can only lead a horse to water. You can't make him drink.