Posts

Franklin Council Agenda Item Targeting FCN Raises Broader Questions Over Branding & City Practices

Image
The proposal requested by Mayor Nelson follows sustained reporting and records requests, as comparable branding by City officials remains unexamined. By Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi Franklin Community News FRANKLIN, Wis. — The Franklin Common Council will consider an agenda item Tuesday, February 3, 2026, authorizing enforcement action against Franklin Community News (FCN) for alleged misuse of City branding. The proposal comes amid a prolonged and increasingly contentious dispute between City leadership and the local news outlet over public records, enforcement practices, and reporting critical of elected officials. The agenda item seeks authorization for the Mayor to issue a cease-and-desist order based on the City’s claim that FCN’s logo created a misleading impression of municipal authority or endorsement. FCN disputes that characterization and states that at no time prior to the agenda posting did the City of Franklin contact FCN to raise concerns about its branding, re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Complaint Ties Multiple Citations, Police Action, and Council Agenda to Critics of Mayor Nelson

Image
A Fire & Police Commission filing and public records raise questions about selective enforcement, taxpayer cost, and a new City Council action targeting Franklin Community News. By Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi Franklin Community News FRANKLIN, Wis. — A formal complaint filed with the Franklin Fire & Police Commission is now tying together a series of municipal actions that include multiple disorderly conduct citations issued to different Franklin residents after criticism of Mayor John Nelson , significant taxpayer-funded legal costs, and a newly proposed City Council action targeting a local news publisher. The complaint, filed January 31, 2026, follows earlier reporting by Franklin Community News documenting that at least four Franklin residents were cited under municipal disorderly conduct or related ordinances after publicly criticizing Mayor Nelson or City leadership , while elected officials who criticized residents or disparaged critics did not face comp...
Post a Comment
Read more

After Criticism of Mayor Nelson, Four Franklin Residents Face Disorderly Conduct Citations

Image
  By Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi Franklin Community News Several Franklin residents (four) who publicly criticized Mayor John Nelson or other city officials were later cited or charged under municipal ordinances, raising questions about how Disorderly Conduct and related laws are being applied to political speech in the City of Franklin. Court records, police reports, sworn testimony, public statements, investigative media re porting, and municipal billing records reviewed by Franklin Community News show a pattern in which residents who engaged in political criticism—often online—were cited for municipal offenses, while similar or more direct statements by elected officials and their allies did not result in enforcement. For background on the initial case involving a $376 citation and the broader concerns around speech and enforcement, see “A $376 Ticket, Thousands in Taxpayer Legal Fees, and How Franklin Prosecuted Political Speech”   . Disorderly Conduct Citatio...
Post a Comment
Read more