This Just In...
Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “INTERchange,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Franklin.
The first true test for Franklin's new Aldermen and School Board members
By Kevin Fischer
Monday, Jul 21 2008, 06:45 PM
Steve Taylor and Kristen Wilhelm of the Franklin Common Council and David Works and Linda Witkowski of the Franklin School Board have been fortunate. Their first few months in office have been relatively quiet, absent of any huge controversies, allowing them time to comfortably transition themselves into their new positions.
That’s about to change.
“Untested” will soon no longer be used to describe this foursome as budget time quickly descends upon the city of Franklin. By far, the most important issue to most Franklin residents is our out of whack tax climate. No doubt Taylor/Wilhelm/Works/Witkowski heard it quite often on the campaign trail. Hope their ears were open and their memories are long because this year’s budget process will be challenging for both the city and the School Board.
Let’s handicap the city tax situation first.
Mayor Tom Taylor, I believe correctly, signed a pledge to submit a budget that contained a city property tax levy increase no larger than 3%. None of the Franklin aldermen signed such a pledge. Franklin blogger Fred Keller and I met with Aldermen Steve Olson and Lyle Sohns in hopes of getting them to sign, but they said no. Concerned Franklin citizen Scott Thinnes was also part of that meeting prior to the election.
Alderman Steve Taylor, the Franklin Common Council President has stated publicly that he will not support a budget that contains a property tax levy greater than 3%. That’s great news and Taylor deserves high praise.
Alderman Wilhelm is on the Finance Committee. Wilhelm told me at the fundraiser for Citizens for a Safe Wisconsin back in February that she was aware of and concerned about Franklin’s astronomical (my word, not hers) taxes. On fiscal items, Wilhelm appears to be playing it close to the vest and is far less predictable than Taylor. It’s just a hunch, but I suspect Wilhelm would vote for a budget that exceeded 3%.
What about the rest of the Common Council?
During last year’s Finance Committee budget deliberations, Franklin’s Alderman NO was Steve Olson, voting time and again against expenditures. But on the final vote to approve the budget, Olson voted YES rather than be the lone NO vote. I think that was the wrong move. Olson should have remained consistent to his principles. It’s the final vote that counts as opposed to all those tallies in committee. Olson has a chance to redeem himself this year and I believe there’s a good chance he will.
Alderman Sohns looked me straight in the face before the election and condescendingly told me that there was no way Franklin could adopt a budget with only a 3% increase. He would have no part of such talk. The defeatist attitude was loud and clear. Sohns did say he’d try very hard to work towards a 3% limit, but also told me and Fred Keller and Scott Thinnes it was impossible.
Sohns is the wild card in the budget equation. If he abandons his woe is us philosophy in favor of a can-do approach, Sohns has fiscal conservative streaks in him. If his colleague Olson supports 3%, Sohns, who often sides with Olson may just follow suit.
That would give you three votes. Ken Skowronski, a supporter of Mayor Taylor’s could provide the 4th and deciding vote. So as difficult as some at City Hall may think it might be to hold the line at 3%, there’s hope it can be accomplished, IF the Aldermen are willing to make the tough choices they were elected to make.
I have far less optimism for our School Board. The talk is that the proposed school tax levy increase will be less than 4%. Compared to last year’s nearly 12% shocker, that sounds terrific.
Here’s the problem. This school board can’t be trusted. No way. No how. They’re already tossing out the caveat that the levy increase is subject to change. Don’t we know it. Last year it jumped six percentage points. The School Board lied to us last year for months. I don’t believe anything they say.
David Works has impressed me. If he follows through and refuses to succumb to the other Board members, I submit the taxpayers have a friend who won’t compromise the goal of quality education.
Linda Witkowski, I’m afraid, worries me. She supported the outrageous Franklin referenda. She’s a bureaucrat, an insider who could very well be indoctrinated into the theory that you’ve got to spend and spend. Prove me wrong, Linda.
Works and Witkowski are but two members. Even if they scratch and claw and fight and scream for fiscal responsibility, they’re outnumbered by a bunch of stick-up artists. Board President Dave Szychlinski has said the public won’t put up with increases like the one last year. He’s right, but I remain highly skeptical this school board understands.
The odds of any fiscal responsibility are far better at City Hall than at the School Board. Steve Taylor and David Works have the best chance of making great impressions in their first budget deliberations. The jury’s out on Kristen Wilhelm and Linda Witkowski.
