Franklin Social Media Censoring Franklin Collusion with ROC Owner Zimmerman and County Supervisor Taylor
Franklin Community News
Some Franklin Social Media Groups are censoring the fact that there is Collusion and a Conflict of Interest Between Mike Zimmerman, County Supervisor Steve Taylor, Franklin Mayor John Nelson, Kelly Hersh, Franklin City Administrator, and Some Members of the Franklin Common Council.
Local media including - television news, talk radio, newspapers, and bloggers have been covering this story for over a month and it does not seem to let up. Any community member who posts anything contrary to the narrative the social media sites want to pump out is either deleted or some of the group members are blocked.
Everyone wants the Rock to succeed. The Rock is good for Franklin and good for economic development and tourism in Southeastern WI. However, what the Rock is NOT is a good corporate citizen who wants to work with its neighbors, our community, and its residents. The sound and lighting issues that have plagued this venue since its inception have never been addressed and continue not to be addressed which affect the quality of life for many of our residents who live surrounding the Rock, not to mention our neighbors in Greendale east of the Rock.
This could have been accomplished and Mr. Zimmerman and his associates could have been Franklin heroes. Instead he and Steve Taylor, (County Supervisor, Former Franklin Alderman, Executive Director of the ROC Foundation, and Steve Taylor Consulting LLC ) are saying dam be the residents and are playing chicken with the County Board and The City of Franklin.
This is a Franklin issue and CAN be SOLVED by the Franklin Common Council if they so choose. We all know the history of how this project started and the multiple conflicts of interest and collusion that occurred to have this project approved. The Rock is here and we cannot go backward. The time is now for the Franklin Common Council and the Mayor to do what they know is right and within their jurisdiction to do what the residents have been asking since the very beginning of the development.
Many on the common council and the administration want to do what is right. We are all aware of the conflict of interest that resides within the common council and the administration. Mayor Nelsons 2023 Election Campaign committee consisted of Steve Taylor (County Supervisor, Former Franklin Alderman, Executive Director of the ROC Foundation and Steve Taylor Consulting LLC), Mike Zimmerman CEO Rock, recently appointed Director of Administration Kelly Hersh, and former Alderwomen Kristen Wilhelm.
Mike Zimmerman, the developer of the Rock sports and entertainment complex is quoted by WI Right Now as saying “I haven’t heard about these legal threats by County Supervisors but I’ll inform my legal counsel to look into,” Zimmerman responded. “On the surface, it would appear frivolous, emotional and out of the jurisdiction they have – and it would be very expensive for them and tax payers I imagine, especially if they lose.”
The proposed MOU makes Franklin Government an arm of ROC Ventures and removes all authority to regulate the company's activities. Franklin will now become a company town, beholden to ROC Ventures. Residents of Franklin did not vote for that! This effort appears about: Giving Zimmerman unchecked approval to do what he wants without recourse by the city and more importantly, to get him out of his contract of paying TIF bond shortfall payments! ROC Ventures, Mike Zimmerman, owes payments from last from last year and a projected loss again for this year and the city is currently paying the interest on the TIF which is underperforming from the forecasted estimates.
Mike Zimmerman called Supervisor Logsdon “crazy”. Taylor even called concerned neighbors “idiots” and “f*ckers” at one point during the meeting. According to news reports, Mayor Nelson and Ms. Hersh discussed how to get better public relations for the Rock and schemed to divide and conquer the neighbors by designating their leader, bypassing one female resident whom the mayor considers too emotional. Hersh spoke about presenting data to support the people who are calling the neighbors “Karens.” and said that the Rock’s developers could take steps that don’t impact their business while taking the “wind out of the sails” of neighbors at the same time.
It was also reported by news sources that Franklin’s officials did not push back at the incendiary language used against neighbors and county supervisors. Mayor Nelson it is now very apparent what many of us have known for a long time is true, you, your administration, and some of the common council members are bought and paid for by the ROC and Mike Zimmerman and beholden to Steve Taylor. Mayor Nelson you could not even defend your residents during this meeting. You sir have no integrity and are not representing the residents of our city. Franklin is now the laughing stock of the local communities.
For you, the Common Council members... you've gone along to get along for the last six months. It's now time to take care of your constituents and do the right thing. Use your brains and get rid of this MOU, fake committees, and trojan horse agreements. Get the sound system and sound level fixed, get the berm fixed, and get control of your own licensing procedures. And get the bond payments collected.
Steve Taylor and Mike Zimmerman have had a track record of threatening many individuals publicly, personally and professionally who disagree in public or private with them. County Supervisor Steve Tylor has threatened County Supervisors Logsdon, Alexander, and Vincent. Additionally the March 30, 2018 issue of Urban Milwaukee identifies the following officials and county residents who shared stories of Taylors behavior. The individuals that self identified as being threatened or harassed by Taylor relating to issues and concerns with the Rock are former Milwaukee County Supervisor Dan Sebring, former Greendale Village Trustee Sally Chadwick, Greendale Resident Joy Zingales, Greendale Resident John-Franco Zingales, Franklin Resident Doug Milinovich, and Franklin Resident Bryan Maersch.
Steve Taylor Facebook Messages on April 14 . -” Then it will be game on if you write anything regarding Mike, John or I on anything outside of the City of Franklin municipal government.” “I will talk with Mike and John because you are nothing but trouble” “I am done with you. We will handle you accordingly”. Steve Taylor is also posting on Franklin Facebook Discussion Groups harassing threats under the alias and fake profile of Jill Manning.
Mike Zimmerman has been posting harassing posts and threats on Franklin Facebook Discussion Groups toward this writer in addition to contacting Alderman, relatives, and friends to have this writer back off.
During the week of March 1, 2023 this writer filed ethics complaints against Steve Taylor to the Milwaukee County Ethics Commission and also against Mayor Nelson to the Milwaukee County Corporate Counsel. The ethics complaints focused on being threatened by a public official, Taylor/Nelson offering Franklin jobs as political pay for play, contacting my employer, collusion in providing public benefit to the Rock, misuse of a Not for Profit ROC Foundation, Make No Promise or Statement on Behalf of the City or Common Council in an Unofficial Setting and Conflict of Interest. One week to the day after filing the ethics complaints Nelson, Taylor, and Zimmerman followed through with their threats against me. I am dealing with their threats and they will be exposed for what they are doing to me as well as to the residents and citizens of Franklin.
Residents are concerned with the faith and belief we have in working with Mr. Zimmerman, Taylor, and the ROC after 10 years of unfulfilled promises and the continued complete unresponsiveness, lack of respect, concern, and willingness to be a business who values the residents of this city and wants to work with the residents to provide the Quality of Life residents demand and expect.
One last thought… action or lack of action by public officials have consequences. They are called reelection and recall. Spring election is next April. That also means some of you, Common Council Members and Mayor, will have been in office for one year since your election and are eligible for recall. Do the right thing for the city. If you won't, the voters will.
The ROC, Zimmerman, Nelson, Taylor, and City of Franklin in the Media
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