The $1 Land Deal Steve Taylor Championed — and Taxpayers Are Still Paying For
County records show Milwaukee County gave up $840,000, retained environmental liability, and accepted decades of financial risk.
On December 11, 2025, the Milwaukee County Finance Committee reviewed an “informational” report confirming that the County sold a former landfill for $1 after forfeiting roughly $840,000 in land value — while retaining long-term environmental and financial responsibility. The deal, pushed through city and county government by the same elected official, now leaves taxpayers exposed to decades of costs at a time when County leaders continue to claim there is “no money” for essential services. County records raise a simple but unresolved question: how did this deal benefit Milwaukee County taxpayers?
By Dr. Richard Busalacchi, Publisher - Franklin Community News
At 9:00 a.m. on December 11, 2025, the Milwaukee County Committee on Finance convened to review what was described as an “informational” agenda item.
The item — File 25-721 — was an Annual Informational Report from the Office of the Comptroller and the Department of Administrative Services – Economic Development, summarizing the financial terms and ongoing obligations in the Contribution and Participation Agreement between Milwaukee County and Ballpark Commons LLC.
The agenda language was unambiguous:
“INFORMATIONAL ONLY UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED BY THE COMMITTEE.”
No vote was required.
No corrective action was recommended.
The report was received and filed.
Yet what the report documented should have prompted far more scrutiny.
The Committee Reviewing the Deal
The Finance Committee reviewing File 25-721 consisted of:
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Chairperson: Supervisor Willie Johnson, Jr.
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Vice Chairperson: Supervisor Steve F. Taylor
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Supervisor Sequanna Taylor
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Supervisor Shawn Rolland
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Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez
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Supervisor Justin Bielinski
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Supervisor Anne O’Connor
This committee oversees County finances, long-term liabilities, and what happens when special funds fall short.
Vice Chair Steve Taylor was not a neutral observer. He was one of the deal’s most consistent political advocates.
What the Report Actually Said
According to File 25-721, Milwaukee County transferred the former Crystal Ridge landfill to a Ballpark Commons entity after allowing the developer to offset landfill-related operating costs against the purchase price. No other bids were taken for the sale of the property.
The stated purchase price was $840,000.
By December 31, 2023, allowable offsets exceeded that amount.
Final payment to Milwaukee County: $1.00.
But the County did not walk away.
Instead, it retained long-term responsibility for:
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methane gas control systems
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groundwater and leachate monitoring
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environmental engineering oversight
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infrastructure repair and replacement
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compliance with state environmental regulations
Those obligations continue indefinitely.
Why This Was Not Just “Informational”
Because the property is a former landfill, Milwaukee County created a special account known as the Landfill Infrastructure Capital (LIC) Fund.
The LIC Fund exists to pay for the ongoing cost of managing the landfill, including:
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methane gas extraction systems
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gas flares and blowers
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monitoring wells and probes
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leachate flow investigations
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environmental consultants
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replacement of aging equipment
These are not optional improvements. They are mandatory environmental controls.
County records show that:
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approximately $95,000 was approved in 2022 for monitoring and gas-system work
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approximately $69,900 was approved in 2025 for system testing, investigations, and equipment replacement
As of late 2025, the LIC Fund holds under $1 million.
Where the Money Comes From — and Why Taxpayers Are Involved
The LIC Fund is often described as if it insulates taxpayers from risk.
It does not.
According to County financial records summarized in File 25-721, the LIC Fund is funded by:
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Required annual payments from the developer
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Milwaukee County’s share of property-tax revenue generated within the Ballpark Commons TIF district
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Interest earned on the fund balance
The second source is critical.
The County’s contribution is not new money. It is property-tax revenue that would otherwise flow into the County’s general tax base — where it could support transit, parks, public safety staffing, and health services.
Instead, that money is diverted to manage the environmental risk of a landfill the County sold for $1.
In other words, taxpayers are already paying — not just in the future, but now.
That ongoing diversion of public funds stands in sharp contrast to the fiscal warnings County leaders have repeatedly issued in recent budget cycles.
Fiscal Alarm Bells — and a Deal That Says Otherwise
In public meetings and budget deliberations, Taylor has argued that:
the County is approaching a fiscal cliff
there is “no money” for expanded transit service
parks, public safety staffing, and core services must be constrained
difficult cuts are unavoidable due to structural shortfalls
Those warnings have been used to justify austerity across County departments.
But the Ballpark Commons deal tells a very different fiscal story.
While sounding repeated alarms about budget shortfalls, the County — with Taylor’s support — agreed to a structure that:
forgave roughly $840,000 in land-sale value
diverted ongoing County property-tax revenue into a special fund
accepted perpetual environmental responsibility for a former landfill
exposed future budgets to open-ended remediation costs
These are not abstract risks. They are real obligations that continue to surface year after year.
A Long-Term Cost Hidden Behind “Informational” Reports
Unlike a one-time budget vote, Ballpark Commons operates quietly.
Its costs do not appear as a single line item labeled “landfill liability.”
They appear as:
diverted tax revenue that never reaches the general fund
environmental expenditures approved incrementally
reduced budget flexibility when new priorities arise
In that sense, the deal functions as a recurring fiscal drain — one that persists even as County leaders warn residents that the sky is falling.
The County gave up immediate revenue, retained permanent risk, and now manages the consequences through a fund that is finite by design.
Why the Contrast Matters
Fiscal warnings matter when they are paired with consistent policy choices.
Here, they were not.
The same official urging restraint and cuts supported a deal that:
weakened the County’s balance sheet
reduced future budget options
and locked taxpayers into decades of environmental exposure
That contradiction is not rhetorical.
It is documented in the County’s own financial reporting.
The “Gift” That Keeps Costing
Ballpark Commons has often been described by its supporters as a gift to the region.
For taxpayers, County records tell a different story.
The land was transferred for $1.
The risk stayed public.
The bills keep coming.
And they arrive long after the ribbon-cuttings and press releases are gone.
What the County Knew — and Accepted Anyway
At the time the deal was approved, Milwaukee County knew:
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the Crystal Ridge site was a former landfill, not clean land
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closed landfills require decades of monitoring and maintenance
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environmental systems age, fail, and require replacement
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regulatory requirements tend to increase, not decrease, over time
Despite this, the County agreed to:
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forgo roughly $840,000 in land-sale proceeds
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accept ongoing environmental responsibility
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rely on a finite fund as its primary protection
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act as the financial backstop if that fund proves insufficient
This was not a short-term risk. It was a long-tail liability.
What Taxpayers Were Told — and What the Deal Delivered
In the years since the deal was approved, County leaders — including Finance Committee leadership — have repeatedly warned that Milwaukee County has “no money” for essential services.
Those warnings have been used to justify:
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reductions in transit service
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deferred park maintenance
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staffing constraints in public safety
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limited investment in health and human services
Yet the Ballpark Commons deal required the County to:
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give up immediate revenue
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divert ongoing tax dollars
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accept open-ended environmental exposure
The contrast is stark.
Who Pushed the Deal — and Who Oversees It Now
The Ballpark Commons deal did not move through government by coincidence.
Steve Taylor simultaneously served as a Franklin alderman and a Milwaukee County Supervisor during the period when Ballpark Commons approvals advanced through both governments.
At the City of Franklin, Taylor promoted the Rock Sports Complex as an economic engine.
At Milwaukee County, he supported the framework that transferred landfill land while retaining public environmental risk.
Today, Taylor serves as Vice Chair of the Milwaukee County Finance Committee — the same committee that reviewed File 25-721 on December 11, 2025 and took no action beyond receiving the report. Steve Taylor is also the Executive Director of the ROC Foundation working for the complaint that bought Ballpark Commons thru a 501(c)(3).
Why Endorsements Matter: Controlling the Future of the Deal
The Ballpark Commons deal is not just about a past land transfer. It is about who controls the decisions going forward — especially as long-term environmental costs and financial exposure continue to surface.
That is why recent political endorsements matter.
Franklin Mayor John Nelson, a close political ally of Steve Taylor, has publicly supported Danielle Kenney for Franklin alderperson and Maqsood Kahn for Milwaukee County Supervisor. Both races sit directly at the intersection of land-use authority and financial oversight tied to Ballpark Commons.
These endorsements are not incidental.
At the City Level: Franklin Alderman
The Franklin Common Council continues to influence:
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zoning and land-use decisions affecting Ballpark Commons
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municipal cooperation on infrastructure, traffic, and public safety
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the local regulatory environment surrounding the development
Installing aligned alderpersons ensures continuity in municipal support for the project, even as questions about long-term impacts persist.
At the County Level: County Supervisor
At the County level, the stakes are higher.
County Supervisors:
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approve budgets and amendments
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oversee long-term liabilities
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sit on — or influence — committees like Finance
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determine how and when costs are absorbed if special funds fall short
The Finance Committee, in particular, is where Ballpark Commons’ long-tail risk ultimately comes due. When the LIC Fund is strained or depleted, it is County Supervisors who decide whether costs are scrutinized, deferred, or quietly absorbed into the general budget.
Endorsing candidates for these roles is about future control, not past votes.
A Network, Not a One-Off
Taken together, the relationships among Taylor, Nelson, and their endorsed candidates reflect a broader pattern:
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advancing development through aligned officials at multiple levels of government
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maintaining influence over the bodies that review, fund, and absorb long-term costs
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shaping the narrative about what the public can — or cannot — afford
This is not unusual in politics. But it becomes critically important when the same development:
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transferred public land for $1
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retained public environmental liability
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continues to expose taxpayers to future financial risk
Who occupies these offices determines whether that risk is aggressively questioned — or passively managed.
Why This Matters Now
The Ballpark Commons deal did not end in 2017.
Its financial consequences are unfolding today — and will continue for decades.
As long as:
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the landfill requires monitoring
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environmental systems age
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regulations evolve
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and costs rise
the key question is not who approved the deal years ago, but who controls the decisions when the bill comes due.
That is why endorsements in Franklin and Milwaukee County matter — and why taxpayers should pay close attention to who is positioned to inherit authority over Ballpark Commons’ future.Allegations and Active Investigations
The Ballpark Commons deal is now part of a broader accountability landscape.
A John Doe petition (2025JD000011) has been filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court seeking a judicial investigation into alleged misconduct in public office involving Steve Taylor, developer Mike Zimmerman, and others connected to the project. Those allegations have not been adjudicated.
Separately, Franklin Mayor John Nelson, a close political ally of Taylor, is currently the subject of an active investigation by the West Allis Police Department on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Public Integrity, according to published reports. No charges have been filed.
The existence of these proceedings does not establish wrongdoing, but they underscore why scrutiny of public-private deals that transfer long-term risk to taxpayers is warranted.
Who Benefited — and Who Pays
The structure of the deal delivered clear benefits to:
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the developer, which acquired County land for $1
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the project, which shifted long-term environmental risk away from private ownership
Meanwhile, the public absorbed:
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the loss of roughly $840,000 in land value
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ongoing environmental costs
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long-term financial exposure
That is not an allegation.
It is what the County’s own report documents.
The Unanswered Question
Strip away the procedural language and “informational” label, and one question remains:
How did selling public land for $1, retaining perpetual environmental liability, and exposing taxpayers to decades of financial risk serve the people of Milwaukee County?
The Finance Committee did not answer that question on December 11.
Taxpayers are still paying for the decision.
Bottom Line
Milwaukee County gave up public value, kept public risk, and continues to bear the cost.
The Vice Chair of the Finance Committee reviewing that reality was one of the deal’s strongest political supporters — simultaneously at City Hall and at the County level.
The report was labeled “informational.”
For taxpayers, the consequences are anything but.
Dr. Richard Busalacchi is the Publisher of Franklin Community News, where he focuses on government transparency, community accountability, and local public policy. He believes a community’s strength depends on open dialogue, honest leadership, and the courage to speak the truth—even when it makes powerful people uncomfortable.
🕯️ The solution isn’t another insider in a new office. It’s sunlight, scrutiny, and the courage to vote differently.
Because until voters demand honest, transparent government, the corruption won’t stop — it will only change titles.
Elections have consequences — and Franklin’s next one may decide whether transparency makes a comeback.
💬 If you value hard-hitting, fact-based investigative reporting about our hometown of Franklin — follow Franklin Community News on Facebook.
Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
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