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...

  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...

By Dr. Richard Busalacchi,  Franklin Community News Nearly 100 Franklin residents have formally asked the City of Franklin to vacate a short, dead-end portion of High View Street. City officials have so far declined to act, citing the fact that the Franklin Public School District did not sign the petition as an abutting landowner. That explanation is incomplete — legally, factually, and politically — and it ignores what voters actually approved. What Voters Approved — According to the Referendum Resolution On June 19, 2024 , the Franklin Public School District Board adopted a resolution placing a $145 million general obligation bond referendum on the November 5, 2024 ballot. The resolution authorized borrowing for a defined list of purposes, including capital maintenance, ADA compliance, safety and security upgrades, and additions and renovations at Franklin High School such as a field house, pool, tennis courts, and related site improvements. Notably, the resolution —...