Updated 8/12/24 - Steve Taylor Should Stop Losing Money on the ROC Foundation Before Attempting to Fix County Budget
This article has been updated on August 12, 2024 - please see below.
Is Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor and ROC Foundation Executive Director 2024 ROC Foundation Golf Tournament a BUST?
Franklin Community News cannot find any sign on social media or the ROC Foundation web page that there will be a 2024 ROC Foundation Golf Outing. The ROC Foundation web page still lists last year's 2023, 4th Annual Golf Tournament from August 13, 2023, on the page. The Visit Ballpark Commons web page also lists information for the 2023 golf tournament. So no 5th Annual Tournament?
Listed on the Visit Ballpark Commons, the sponsors that contributed to a golf outing that lost money in 2023 are listed as:
According to ROC Foundation Tax Returns 990EZ filed with the IRS, the Golf Tournament has been the largest revenue source for the ROC Foundation with the lowest return. The 2023 tax returns for the ROC Foundation have yet to be filed. Steve Taylor, ROC Executive Director and only employee of the ROC Foundation, according to tax returns, lost -$1.00 on the 2022 golf outing.
Total gross fundraising revenue for the ROC Foundation continues to increase year over year at the same time fundraising expenses continue to increase. In 2022 Steve Taylor lost -$4,007 in fundraising.
Total revenues for 2022 were at an all-time high but when compared with the expenses and losses on fundraising, they do not paint a good picture of the fiscal management of this foundation by Taylor.
The reported expenses paint another picture and raise a few questions. The ROC Foundation according to the IRS filings really does not award "grants". It allows nonprofit organizations the privilege to sell 50/50 raffle tickets and admission tickets and keep a share of the "profits" for their "work".
Steve Taylor earned $75,000 in 2022. According to two Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel articles, Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor failed to disclose his relationship with the rock and two weeks later filed to report his employment as Executive Director of the ROC Foundation on his ethics disclosure statement as required by the Milwaukee County Ethics Board.
Taylor had $32,786 charged to professional fees and independent contractors. What is it that a foundation that makes no money and gives no money could possibly be spending $32,786 in 2022 and $40,022 in 2021 on consultants and independent contractors? Who or what company was Taylor consulting with? What reason could there possibly be for a small nonprofit to spend 25% of its revenue on consulting on top of the 50% revenue of the salary paid by the Foundation to Taylor? Why was the ROC Foundation not charged rent in 2022 but was charged rent in 2020 and 2021?
The net assets reported on the filings indicate a loss for the last three reporting years with a negative fund balance across all three years and a total deficit for the three years of -$39,611.
Due to the many questions arising from the review of the ROC Foundation tax filings, publicly accessible on the IRS web page, Franklin Community News filed a formal complaint with the IRS in January of 2023 providing evidence and alleging that Milwaukee County Supervisor/ROC Executive Director and Mike Zimmerman ROC Ventures CEO:
- Directors/Officers/Persons are using income/assets for personal gain
- The organization is engaged in commercial, for-profit business activities
- The organization is involved in a political campaign
- The organization is engaged in excessive lobbying activity
Franklin Community News has provided evidence of open records, to the IRS of how Taylor and or Zimmerman were involved and participating in the above allegations.
County Supervisor Taylor has made the news lately with a now self-proclaimed title of Milwaukee County Budget Hawk.
August 7, 2024, This Just in from Franklin published in an article titled "So Steve Taylor, Where's Your 'Creativity'?
My goodness, Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor must be higher than a kite.
Taylor, who just happens to be my supervisor (yes, he works for me and really should listen closely to what I’m writing), was mentioned twice in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week within a matter of a few days.
With his ego the size of New Jersey Taylor’s got to be in another stratosphere.
A la Captain Obvious Taylor was quoted at a committee hearing about the upcoming county budget.
Taylor, who just happens to be my supervisor (yes, he works for me and really should listen closely to what I’m writing), was mentioned twice in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week within a matter of a few days.
With his ego the size of New Jersey Taylor’s got to be in another stratosphere.
A la Captain Obvious Taylor was quoted at a committee hearing about the upcoming county budget.
“It’s not good. It’s not good at all. We’re going to have a tough budget,” he said.
That’s right up there with dog bites man.
Of course, the budget will be problematic. That’s what happens when you have a clown car filled with tax and spend supervisors and other county officials running the show.
Taylor was quoted again shortly thereafter.
“This budget is going to be brutal. We’ve seen the five-year forecast. It’s going to be brutal the next five years.”
Then came this gem.
“Where’s the going to Madison during the budget and demanding that the state picks up the slack and helps the local level? Why hasn’t that been done?”
The newspaper added, “Taylor also voiced frustrations about the lower-than-projected sales tax collections and the county being on the hook for the annual $2.5 million contribution toward the Brewers stadium renovation but he trained particular anger on the sheriff’s lack of solutions to its fiscal issues. ‘I didn’t hear solutions. That’s what pisses me off. I heard the problems. I heard the causes. I didn’t hear any creativity’.”
Maybe Taylor should take some of his own advice “It’s not good. "It’s not good at all. We’re going to have a tough budget,” he (Taylor) said." If Taylor cannot run a simple nonprofit organization in the black, turn a profit, and benefit the community, one would question what knowledge, expertise, experience, input, or advice he can provide to solve the multimillion-dollar county budget problems. Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor serves on the Milwaukee County Committee on Finance.
In case you are wondering according to the ROC Foundation Website, ROC stands for "Return on Community".
UPDATE - August 12, 2024
Franklin Community News must have struck a nerve with County Supervisor Taylor. Two days following the publication of this article the following was posted on the Milwaukee Milkmen Facebook page:
It appears in honor of the article Franklin Community News published, the ROC Foundation has now changed the name of what was called for many years "Jersey Auction" to the "Foundation Golf Tournament Auction". An auction bearing the name of a non-existing golf tournament in 2024. In marketing, we call that the ol....switch a roooo.
Oh and yes we have the financials of the Jersy Auction as it has been called before the year of no golf tournament. In the last year, the ROC Foundation filed its taxes with the IRS, 2022, they reported that they made $0 on the Jersey Auction. Taylor's ROC Foundation also reported it spent $4,281 in indirect expenses on the Jersey Auction.
On the two major fundraisers for the ROC Foundation in 2022 the Foundation lost -$1 and as a Foundation without any help from the numerous non-for-profit organizations that raise money by "selling" tickets. In 2022 the Foundation reported generating a profit of $-1 on the Golf Tournament and a profit of $0 on the Jersey auction.
According to the Visit Ballpark Commons web page, which still lists the 2023 Golf Tournament information, the mission of the ROC Foundation is:
The ROC Foundation's mission is to provide support and unique experiences for youth, high school, and young adults in sports, recreation, education, employment and wellness; through a robust network of like-minded businesses and supporters. The ROC Foundation strives to create impactful outcomes in the communities where we live, work, and play. Donations help us continue to support nonprofits that provide quality programming in these areas along with partnering with the Milwaukee Wave and Milwaukee Milkmen who we are affiliated with.
As published on the Rock Ventures web page the mission of the ROC Foundation is not the same as what is listed on the Ballpark Commons Page.
The ROC Foundation is dedicated to providing support and unique experiences for youth, high school, and young adults in sports, recreation, education, employment and wellness. Donations from supporters like you help us continue to support nonprofits that provide quality programming in these areas along with partnering with the Milwaukee Wave and Milwaukee Milkmen who we are affiliated with.
Finally on the Facebook post provided above announcing the "Foundation Golf Tournament Auction" posted the following as its mission.
Proceeds go to support ROC Foundation's mission of providing support for other non-profit organizations as well as creating unique experiences for youth, high school and young adults in sports, recreation, education, employment and wellness.
You would think that an organization that employs a full-time executive director who made $75,047 in 2022, who is a Milwaukee County Supervisor on the County Budget Committee, and who manages a not-for-profit that generates no revenue and truly does not provide any "direct grants" could at the very least know what the mission of his organization is.
Any first-year business student will tell you that identifying your organization's mission and vision is the most important step for any organization next to turning a profit.
ROC - Return on Community. Is it really ROC? or is it RFSTAMZ Return for Steve Taylor and Mike Zimmerman? Time will tell.
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