By Dr. Richard Busalacchi
Franklin Community News
Newly obtained public records reviewed by Franklin Community News raise significant ethical and public-interest questions involving Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor, ROC Ventures, and communications surrounding the Franklin Common Council’s March 17, 2026 vote approving the “Country Rising” and “Tacos & Tequila” festivals at Ballpark Commons.
The records include:
- text messages allegedly sent by Taylor to Alderman Nabil Salous shortly after the council vote,
- ROC Ventures-related communications involving permit advocacy and elected officials,
- and records showing Taylor operating through a ROC Ventures organizational email account while serving as both a Milwaukee County Supervisor and Chairman of the Milwaukee County Board Finance Committee.
Taken together, the records raise broader questions involving:
- political pressure,
- conflicts of interest,
- disclosure obligations,
- nonprofit governance,
- and the relationship between public office, nonprofit leadership, and private development interests connected to Ballpark Commons and ROC Ventures.
The March 17 Vote
The controversy centers on the Franklin Common Council’s March 17, 2026 approval of ROC Ventures’ extraordinary entertainment permit for the 2026 “Country Rising” and “Tacos & Tequila” festivals at Franklin Field.
According to official meeting minutes, the permit included conditions involving:
- independent sound monitoring,
- “PG-13” artist performance expectations,
- pre-event sound calibration,
- coordination with Franklin Police and City officials,
- and a voluntary “Resident Staycation Program” for nearby residents impacted by the events.
The motion was approved on a 5-1 vote:
- Peccarelli — Aye
- Eichmann — Aye
- Hasan — Aye
- Day — Aye
- Salous — Aye
- Craig — No
According to the official minutes, Mayor John Nelson recessed the meeting at approximately 8:55 p.m. and reconvened at approximately 9:08 p.m.
Text Messages Sent After the Vote
Records obtained through open records requests indicate Taylor attended the March 17 meeting.
Shortly after the vote and recess, Taylor allegedly sent a direct text message to Alderman Nabil Salous stating:
“You really surprised me by doing the right thing. Suggestion… Quit listening to people who have no clue and if you want to talk about me do it to my face or we will have some serious issues.”
The message was later forwarded by Salous to the Franklin City Clerk in response to an open records request.
Three days later, Taylor allegedly sent Salous another message stating:
“Almost time for a recall.”
The communications have raised concerns regarding:
- political pressure,
- retaliation,
- intimidation,
- and outside influence tied to ROC Ventures-related municipal matters.
A reasonable person could interpret the messages as attempts to pressure or influence an elected official following a controversial municipal vote.
Whether the communications rise to the level of unlawful threats would depend on additional facts and legal interpretation.
Similar Messages Previously Sent to FCNewsWI Publisher
The Salous messages are not the only records raising questions regarding Taylor’s communications with critics or individuals involved in ROC-related disputes.
Additional records reviewed by Franklin Community News show Taylor previously sending confrontational messages to FCNewsWI publisher Dr. Richard Busalacchi during disputes involving Franklin politics and ROC-related reporting.
In an April 11, 2023 exchange, Taylor wrote:
“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.”
During the same conversation Taylor also stated:
Taylor also stated:
“Anything outside on City of Franklin municipal government is off limits.”
and later:
“I am done with you. We will handle you accordingly.”
The exchanges involved:
- Mayor John Nelson,
- ROC Ventures CEO Mike Zimmerman,
- and disputes surrounding reporting published by Franklin Community News.
Standing alone, each communication may be subject to interpretation. However, when viewed alongside the later Salous messages involving:
- “serious issues”
- and
- “Almost time for a recall,”
critics may reasonably argue the records reflect a broader pattern of confrontational or retaliatory communications directed toward individuals involved in criticism, reporting, or ROC-related governmental controversies.
Taylor’s Expanding Role in ROC Ventures Matters
Additional records reviewed by Franklin Community News show Taylor communicating through:
stevet@rocventures.org
in discussions involving:
- ROC permit advocacy,
- meetings with elected officials,
- and operational matters tied directly to the Country Rising and Tacos & Tequila festival approvals.
One March 16, 2026 email sent from Taylor’s ROC Ventures organizational account to Alderman Yousef Hasan and businessman Mohamad Khalek referenced materials prepared for presentation to the Franklin Common Council and stated:
“Mike and I look forward to discussing and answering any questions.”
The attached documents were formal ROC Ventures memorandums supporting permit approval for the festivals.
The records appear to show Taylor:
- directly participating in ROC permit advocacy,
- coordinating meetings involving elected officials,
- and functioning in a governmental-relations or operational role tied to ROC Ventures.
From Public Office to ROC Leadership
Questions surrounding Taylor’s role become more significant when viewed in the broader context of the Ballpark Commons redevelopment itself.
At the time of the redevelopment and sale of the former Crystal Ridge Ski Hill property, Taylor simultaneously served as:
- a Milwaukee County Supervisor,
- and a Franklin Alderman.
The former Crystal Ridge property — a landfill and ski hill owned by Milwaukee County — was ultimately transferred to ROC Ventures as part of the Ballpark Commons redevelopment project.
Public records indicate the transaction reportedly occurred:
- without a traditional request-for-proposals (RFP) process,
- without competitive bidding,
- and without broader public solicitation for alternative redevelopment proposals.
The property was reportedly transferred for a purchase price of $1 as part of the redevelopment arrangement.
During the same period, Taylor participated in governmental matters connected to:
- redevelopment approvals,
- zoning,
- financing discussions,
- and municipal actions tied to the project.
Following his unsuccessful reelection campaign in 2018, Taylor later became Executive Director of the ROC Foundation, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the same Ballpark Commons/ROC enterprise connected to the redevelopment.
ROC Foundation Finances and Governance Questions
IRS Form 990 filings reviewed by Franklin Community News show the ROC Foundation reported fluctuating financial performance between 2020 and 2024, including:
- multiple years of operating losses,
- one year of near break-even performance,
- a significant surplus in 2023,
- and a return to losses in 2024.
Executive compensation paid to Taylor reportedly increased during that same period:
- 2020: approximately $53,000
- 2021: approximately $60,000
- 2022: approximately $63,000
- 2023: approximately $79,000
- 2024: approximately $79,000
The filings also show substantial fluctuations in charitable program spending ratios:
- 2020: 3.9%
- 2021: 24.2%
- 2022: 25.9%
- 2023: 12.3%
- 2024: 85.7%
Several nonprofit accountability organizations commonly view spending approximately 65% or greater on charitable programming as a benchmark for stronger mission alignment and efficiency.
The records additionally show payments from the ROC Foundation to ROC Ventures reportedly increasing from approximately:
- $10,000 in 2023
to: - approximately $23,000 in 2024,
including rent and management-related expenses.
ROC Foundation Financial Overview (IRS Form 990 Summary)
The filings also reportedly disclosed:
- no formal conflict-of-interest policy,
- no independent compensation review process,
- and limited documented board oversight.
These disclosures are not themselves evidence of wrongdoing. However, they raise broader governance and transparency questions given the overlapping relationships between:
- ROC Ventures,
- the ROC Foundation,
- Steve Taylor,
- and politically sensitive municipal matters tied to Ballpark Commons.
What Role Does the ROC Foundation Actually Play?
One significant question raised by the records remains largely unanswered:
What role does the ROC Foundation actually play in the day-to-day operational, governmental-relations, and political activities involving ROC Ventures and Ballpark Commons?
The ROC Foundation publicly presents itself as a separate nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization focused on:
- youth athletics,
- recreation,
- community programming,
- and charitable initiatives.
However, records reviewed by Franklin Community News appear to show Taylor — while serving as Executive Director of the ROC Foundation — simultaneously engaging in:
- ROC Ventures permit advocacy,
- municipal coordination,
- operational discussions,
- and politically sensitive governmental matters benefiting the broader ROC enterprise.
The records raise broader questions regarding:
- whether sufficient separation existed between the nonprofit and for-profit entities,
- whether nonprofit leadership became intertwined with private development advocacy,
- and whether the Foundation operated at sufficient arm’s length from ROC Ventures operations.
What Could Steve Taylor Potentially Gain?
The records do not establish that Taylor personally profited unlawfully from ROC Ventures-related matters.
However, they do raise legitimate public-interest questions regarding what Taylor potentially stood to gain — politically, professionally, financially, or organizationally — through his close involvement with ROC-related activities before, during, and after the Ballpark Commons redevelopment process.
The records reflect a progression in which Taylor:
- participated in governmental matters involving Ballpark Commons while serving in public office,
- later became Executive Director of the ROC Foundation affiliated with that same development,
- received increasing executive compensation through the Foundation,
- and now appears operationally involved in ROC Ventures governmental and permit matters.
Critics may reasonably question whether:
- public office and political influence translated into professional or organizational opportunities tied to ROC-related entities,
- and whether sufficient separation existed between:
- public decision-making,
- nonprofit leadership,
- and private development advocacy.
Ethical and Public-Interest Questions
The records reviewed by Franklin Community News do not by themselves establish criminal wrongdoing.
However, they raise substantial public-interest and ethics questions involving:
- conflicts of interest,
- political pressure,
- nonprofit governance,
- disclosure obligations,
- transparency,
- and the increasingly blurred lines between public office and private development interests.
Potentially relevant statutes and ethics provisions that could warrant review include:
- Wis. Stat. § 19.59 governing ethical conduct of local officials,
- Wis. Stat. § 946.12 concerning misconduct in public office,
- Milwaukee County ethics disclosure requirements,
- and applicable financial disclosure standards.
The records also raise questions regarding:
- behind-the-scenes coordination involving elected officials,
- the use of personal devices and personal accounts for public business,
- and whether all responsive records were fully produced in response to open records requests.
Broader Public-Interest Concerns
The issue is not whether elected officials may support redevelopment projects or maintain political alliances.
The broader public-interest concern is whether:
- a sitting Milwaukee County Supervisor,
- using a ROC Ventures organizational email account,
- while actively participating in ROC-related municipal affairs,
crossed the line from political support into inappropriate influence over local governmental decision-making.
Taken together, the records raise growing questions regarding:
- political influence,
- transparency,
- conflicts of interest,
- disclosure obligations,
- nonprofit governance,
- and the increasingly blurred relationship between public office, nonprofit leadership, and private development advocacy tied to ROC Ventures and Ballpark Commons.
Critics argue the records reflect an increasingly close relationship between ROC Ventures leadership and influential Franklin political figures — a relationship likely to intensify ongoing public debate surrounding Ballpark Commons, redevelopment politics, and governmental transparency in Franklin.
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