Kathleen Vincent: A Pattern of Misconduct, Dereliction, and Ethical Failures
By Franklin Community News
Milwaukee County Supervisor Kathleen Vincent (District 11 – Greendale, Greenfield, and portions of Milwaukee) has long styled herself as a dedicated public servant. But recent investigations reveal a troubling pattern of dereliction of duty, ethical lapses, and misuse of taxpayer resources that stretch across her multiple public roles — as a Milwaukee County Supervisor, Greendale School Board President, and full-time English teacher in the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD).
Dereliction of Duty: Packers Over Constituents
On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Vincent was scheduled to co-host public “In-District Office Hours” with Alderman Peter Burgelis and Supervisor Patti Logsdon at Milwaukee Fire Station 29 from 9:00–11:45 a.m.
The original flyer — posted by Alderman Burgelis — clearly listed Vincent’s name alongside Burgelis and Logsdon. The event was billed as a chance for residents to meet their elected officials, ask questions, and raise community concerns.
But on Friday, August 22, Vincent abruptly canceled her participation. The next day, Burgelis quietly released a revised post and flyer with Vincent’s name removed.
— confirming critics’ suspicions that she ditched her
public commitment to attend a PRE-SEASON football game.
Residents who expected to see her were left frustrated:
“She made a commitment and then pulled out at the last minute,” one constituent said. “It shows where her priorities really are.”
“Screenshots provided to Franklin Community News by multiple confidential sources. The screenshots match the style and content of Vincent’s account, and Franklin Community News has no evidence to suggest they are inauthentic.”
Double Dipping: Theft of Time at KUSD
On September 24, 2024, Kevin Mathewson of the Kenosha County Eye published a story based on a Kenosha Unified School District personnel letter accusing Vincent of serious misconduct — including “Theft of Time.”
As a full-time English teacher, Vincent allegedly:
-
Took Greendale school board and Milwaukee county calls during class hours.
-
Gave students “busy work” so she could attend Milwaukee County Board Zoom meetings.
-
Misused taxpayer-funded teaching time for her other elected roles.
Conservative talk show host Mark Belling amplified the scandal on WISN Radio the next day, calling Vincent a “Triple Dipper” for collecting three taxpayer-funded paychecks at once.
Forced Resignation: Greendale School Board
The double dipping scandal had swift consequences. On October 7, 2024, Vincent resigned as President of the Greendale School Board.
While she clung to her seat as a member, many in the community demanded she step down entirely. For parents and residents, her resignation from the presidency was not enough — they argued she had forfeited the public trust entirely.
Misuse of Legislative Aide: Ethics Complaints Filed
In January 2024, an ethics complaint was filed against both Vincent and Supervisor Steve Taylor. In mid-2024, a second complaint followed, alleging fraud and misuse of county resources.
At issue: Vincent and Taylor directed their shared legislative aide to attend four Milwaukee County Circuit Court hearings unrelated to county business, then report back to them.
-
The aide’s appearances (June 10, July 7, July 25, and August 6, 2024) cost taxpayers an estimated $141.80.
-
This exceeds the $50 threshold for financial misuse under Milwaukee County Ethics Code §9.05(2).
Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson clarified the matter in an August 16, 2024 memo, writing:
“Legislative aides do not accommodate requests to the personal affairs of County Supervisors.”
Questionable Expenses
Records also show Vincent expensed nearly $700 on branded clothing and office gear — including Adidas polos, a Columbia jacket, and headphones — as “office expenditures.” Critics called this an abuse of county funds.
Spotlight Chasing at the Boat Auction
On August 5, 2025, Milwaukee County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, Chair of the Parks Committee, hosted a press event to announce the winning bidder of the infamous marooned boat Deep Thought. The event was squarely under Wasserman’s committee authority and tied to the Parks Department.
Yet Kathleen Vincent was the only other supervisor to appear — despite having no involvement with the Parks Committee, the marina, or the auction process.
Video footage used by multiple Milwaukee news media show Vincent planted herself front and center behind Wasserman during the announcement, ensuring she was captured in broadcast footage and photographs. Critics also noted that her attire was “less than professional”, diminishing the seriousness of her appearance.
“She wasn’t there because of the issue,” one attendee said. “She was there because she wanted to be on camera.”
The episode reinforced a recurring critique of Vincent: that she prioritizes visibility and self-promotion over substantive engagement with her actual constituents and responsibilities.
A Consistent Pattern
Taken together, these incidents reveal a troubling consistency:
-
Canceling public office hours to attend a football game.
-
Being forced to resign as School Board President following a double-dipping scandal.
-
Misusing taxpayer time as a teacher.
-
Directing county staff to perform personal errands.
-
Expensing personal items as “county business.”
-
Inserting herself into events unrelated to her role, simply to be seen on camera.
One courthouse insider summed up the problem bluntly:
“How many lies can you tell before you forget the last lie you told?”
Conclusion: Not Fit to Serve
Kathleen Vincent has shown that she is not guided by public service, but by self-promotion and personal benefit. Her actions undermine the trust of Greendale residents, KUSD students, and Milwaukee County taxpayers alike.
It is not enough for her to resign from leadership positions. For the sake of integrity, transparency, and public trust, Vincent should resign entirely from both the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and the Greendale School Board.
Franklin Community News will continue to monitor this story and follow up on additional ethics filings and open records disclosures.
This is for the Greater Good.
Comments
Post a Comment