FRANKLIN APPROVES UP TO $10 MILLION IN NEW BORROWING
Questions Raised Over Taxpayer Impact, Budget Planning, and Administrative Experience
By Dr. Richard Busalacchi
Publisher, Franklin Community News
The Franklin Common Council has authorized the City to borrow up to $10 million through the issuance of General Obligation Promissory Notes, a decision that could have long-term financial implications for taxpayers while raising broader questions about the City's budgeting practices and administrative leadership.
The borrowing resolution, approved during the Council's July 21 meeting, follows months of Council approvals for capital projects that, according to multiple fiscal notes presented throughout the year, did not have appropriated funding within the City's adopted 2026 budget. During the meeting, City officials explained that approximately $8.15 million in previously approved projects now require financing, with additional projects potentially bringing the borrowing closer to the authorized $10 million.
Borrowing Before Budgeting?
Throughout the meeting, Council members questioned whether they had sufficient financial information before authorizing the borrowing. Particular concern was expressed regarding the lack of detailed projections showing the effect the additional debt could have on future property taxes.
Although city officials discussed the need to move forward with delayed infrastructure improvements and explained that postponing projects often increases costs due to inflation and construction escalation, several Council members questioned whether taxpayers should first receive a clearer picture of the long-term financial impact.
The discussion highlighted a broader policy question facing Franklin:
Should major capital projects receive approval before a funding source has been identified?
That question becomes increasingly important as municipalities across Wisconsin continue to balance aging infrastructure, rising construction costs, and growing pressure on local property taxpayers.
The Taxpayer Question
For many residents, the most significant unanswered question remains straightforward:
What will this borrowing cost?
While the resolution authorizes borrowing of up to $10 million, no estimate of the potential property tax impact was presented during the Council's public discussion before the vote. Taxpayers were not provided with projections showing how debt service may affect future municipal tax levies or what the borrowing could mean for the average homeowner.
As Franklin continues preparing future budgets while addressing ongoing capital needs, those answers will become increasingly important.
Leadership During a Period of Transition
The borrowing authorization also comes during a period of significant transition within Franklin's senior administrative leadership.
Since 2023, Mayor John Nelson has assembled a new executive leadership team responsible for overseeing the City's administration and finances.
Director of Administration Kelly Hersh was appointed shortly after Mayor Nelson took office. Rather than selecting one of two finalists identified through a professional executive search conducted by Public Administration Associates, the Mayor discontinued the search process and appointed Hersh directly.
Prior to her appointment, Hersh had not served as a municipal City Administrator or Chief Administrative Officer. Her background consisted primarily of communications, community advocacy, and political involvement within Franklin, including serving as a prominent supporter during Mayor Nelson's campaign.
Director of Finance and Treasurer Danielle Brown brought municipal finance experience from
her previous role as Deputy Treasurer for the Village of Waterford and possesses strong academic credentials, including an MBA and accounting degrees. However, Franklin represented her first appointment as the chief financial officer of a municipality.
Neither observation should be interpreted as criticism of either official's dedication or work ethic. Rather, the appointments reflect a leadership team relatively new to their respective executive roles as the City undertakes increasingly significant financial decisions involving long-term borrowing, capital planning, and budget management.
Experience Versus Opportunity
Municipal governments across Wisconsin regularly appoint talented professionals into leadership positions for the first time. Experience must begin somewhere.
Nevertheless, the Franklin appointments have generated continuing public discussion because they occurred after substantial turnover in City Hall and because several appointments departed from more traditional municipal career paths.
As the City prepares to borrow up to $10 million while simultaneously confronting future budget pressures, residents may reasonably ask whether Franklin has assembled the depth of executive municipal management experience necessary to navigate increasingly complex financial decisions.
Those questions are not personal—they are questions of governance and stewardship.
More Than a Borrowing Resolution
The Council's vote represents more than authorization to issue debt.
It raises broader questions regarding long-term financial planning, transparency, and accountability:
Should projects be approved before funding has been identified?
Should taxpayers receive projected tax impacts before borrowing is authorized?
Should the Council require a comprehensive debt analysis before future borrowing?
How much additional debt can Franklin responsibly assume while maintaining essential city services?
Those are questions that deserve continued public discussion well beyond a single Council meeting.
Franklin Community News will continue examining the City's capital planning process, debt obligations, and administrative decision-making in the weeks ahead.
WHO IS MANAGING FRANKLIN'S FINANCES? - EDITORIAL
As the City Prepares to Borrow Up to $10 Million and Projects a 4%–4.5% Increase in the City's Property Tax Levy, Taxpayers Have a Right to Know Who Is Making the Recommendations
When the Franklin Common Council voted to authorize up to $10 million in new borrowing, much of the public discussion centered on aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and financing options.
Yet another question deserves equal attention:
Who is managing Franklin's finances?
That question has become increasingly relevant after city officials advised that financing approximately $10 million in capital projects could result in an estimated 4% to 4.5% increase in the City's portion of the property tax levy beginning with the 2027 budget, depending upon final borrowing costs and future budget decisions.
For homeowners already facing rising costs from inflation, insurance, utilities, and other taxing jurisdictions, even a modest municipal tax increase is significant.
As Franklin prepares for one of its largest recent borrowing authorizations, taxpayers deserve to understand the experience and backgrounds of the officials responsible for recommending the City's financial strategy.
Who Oversees Franklin's Finances?
While the Common Council ultimately approves budgets and borrowing, much of the analysis and recommendations originate with the City's administrative leadership.
Those responsibilities primarily rest with:
Mayor John Nelson
Director of Administration Kelly Hersh
Director of Finance and Treasurer Danielle Brown
Together, these officials oversee budget preparation, capital improvement planning, debt financing, financial forecasting, and recommendations presented to the Common Council.
Director of Administration: Kelly Hersh
Kelly Hersh became Franklin's Director of Administration shortly after Mayor John Nelson assumed office in 2023.
Her appointment attracted attention because of both the position's importance and the hiring process itself.
Prior to filling the position, the City retained Public Administration Associates (PAA)—a nationally recognized executive search firm—to recruit qualified candidates for Franklin's chief administrative officer position.
That recruitment reportedly cost taxpayers approximately $9,500 and produced finalists for consideration.
Rather than selecting from those finalists, Mayor Nelson discontinued the search process and appointed Hersh directly.
Before becoming Director of Administration, Hersh had not served as a municipal City Administrator, Village Administrator, or Chief Administrative Officer.
Her background consisted primarily of communications, community advocacy, and political involvement in Franklin, including:
Founding director of Franklin Community Advocates.
Participation in litigation involving the proposed Strauss Brands development.
Filing a Wisconsin Ethics Commission complaint concerning a Franklin alderperson.
Serving as a prominent supporter and campaign ally of Mayor John Nelson during his successful mayoral campaign.
Publicly available information indicates Hersh holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.
The City's recruitment materials reportedly expressed a preference for candidates possessing graduate-level education together with substantial municipal executive management experience.
Supporters have argued that leadership ability, communication skills, and knowledge of Franklin's community were more important than traditional municipal administrative experience.
Critics have questioned whether bypassing a professional executive search produced the most qualified candidate to oversee a city with an annual budget exceeding tens of millions of dollars.
Director of Finance and Treasurer: Danielle Brown
Franklin's Director of Finance entered City Hall with experience in municipal finance.
Prior to joining Franklin, Danielle Brown served as Deputy Treasurer for the Village of Waterford, managing treasury operations, tax collections, municipal accounting, and financial administration.
She also possesses impressive academic credentials, including:
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Associate Degree in Accounting
Franklin represented Brown's first appointment as the chief financial officer of a municipality.
That distinction is important.
While deputy treasurer experience provides an excellent foundation in municipal finance, the Director of Finance assumes significantly broader responsibilities, including:
Preparing the City's annual budget.
Advising the Common Council on financial policy.
Managing debt issuance.
Developing capital financing strategies.
Preparing long-range financial forecasts.
Monitoring the City's overall fiscal condition.
Brown now serves as the City's principal financial advisor during one of the most significant borrowing discussions in recent years.
Experience Versus Opportunity
Every successful City Administrator and Finance Director accepted a first leadership position at some point in their careers.
The issue is not whether either official is intelligent, hardworking, or committed to public service.
Rather, taxpayers may reasonably ask whether Franklin should place greater emphasis on demonstrated executive municipal management experience when filling its highest administrative positions—particularly as the City recommends borrowing up to $10 million while projecting an increase of approximately 4% to 4.5% in the City's property tax levy.
That is a legitimate question of governance—not a personal criticism of any individual.
Transparency Builds Public Trust
Major borrowing decisions affect taxpayers long after elected officials and administrators leave office.
Debt issued today will be repaid over many years through future municipal budgets supported by Franklin property owners.
Those decisions require more than balancing current needs.
They require:
Long-term financial planning.
Comprehensive debt affordability analysis.
Accurate revenue forecasting.
Property tax impact projections.
Transparent communication with both elected officials and the public.
As Franklin moves toward adoption of its 2027 budget, taxpayers deserve more than a borrowing authorization.
They deserve a clear explanation of how the recommendations were developed, what alternatives were considered, how the borrowing will affect future property taxes, and why city leadership believes this represents the best long-term financial strategy.
The Bottom Line
Franklin's recent borrowing authorization is about more than issuing debt.
It is about confidence in the process.
When residents are asked to support higher property taxes, they have every right to understand not only what decisions are being made, but who is making them and the experience they bring to those decisions.
Municipal government depends upon public trust.
Transparency, accountability, and informed public discussion are essential to maintaining that trust.
This piece reflects the author’s personal opinion and experiences. All statements are presented as commentary protected under the First Amendment. Readers are encouraged to review public records, filings, and documented evidence referenced throughout this article.
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.
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Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
💬 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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