EDITORIAL
Steve Taylor Doesn't Think You Should Decide
Call your County Supervisor today and demand the full Milwaukee County Board consider allowing taxpayers to vote before committing approximately $858 million in courthouse construction funding.
By Dr. Richard Busalacchi
Franklin Community News
Steve Taylor said the quiet part out loud.
During Thursday's meeting of the Milwaukee County Finance Committee, Chairman Steve Taylor explained why he opposed allowing Milwaukee County taxpayers to vote on whether the County should proceed with approximately $858 million in proposed construction funding for a new courthouse.
His explanation was simple.
"This is a representative government. We're elected to make the decision."
He didn't stop there.
Taylor predicted that if the question were placed before voters, they would reject it because, in his words:
"They don't have the information."
He added:
"You're not going to be able to educate the voters the way they need to be. It's going to be all rhetoric."
Whether intentional or not, the message was unmistakable.
Milwaukee County residents were told they should not decide one of the largest borrowing questions in County history because they lack the information necessary to make an informed decision.
We Disagree.
Wisconsin voters routinely make complicated decisions.
They elect governors.
They elect judges.
They elect legislators.
They elect county supervisors....even supervisors who run unopposed.
They approve school construction referenda worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
They vote on technical college borrowing.
They vote on constitutional amendments.
Apparently, according to Chairman Taylor, they can do all of those things—but they cannot be trusted to decide whether Milwaukee County should proceed with approximately $858 million in courthouse construction funding.
That is a remarkable position for an elected official to take.
This Isn't About Whether Milwaukee Needs a New Courthouse
It probably does.
County studies dating back to 2016 have concluded that replacing the aging Public Safety Building is likely more practical than attempting a comprehensive renovation.
Franklin Community News has reported extensively on the deteriorating condition of the building, the more than $75 million in deferred maintenance within the Public Safety Building itself, the more than $334 million in deferred maintenance across the courthouse campus, and the County's conclusion that continued patchwork repairs are no longer the most economical long-term solution.
This editorial is not about whether Milwaukee County needs a modern courthouse.
It is about who gets to decide before taxpayers are committed to financing it.
If taxpayers may ultimately repay the debt, taxpayers deserve the opportunity to express their opinion before that commitment is made.
Leadership Requires Credibility
Chairman Taylor asks Milwaukee County residents to trust his judgment over their own.
That is his right as an elected official who continues to run unopposed for some miraculous reason. Not because his running unopposed is an endorsement of the electorate.
It is equally the public's right to evaluate whether that trust has been earned.
Taylor also serves as Executive Director of the ROC Foundation.
Franklin Community News previously examined the Foundation's publicly available IRS Form 990 filings and reported on the organization's financial condition during Taylor's leadership. Those public filings reflected recurring financial challenges, including years in which expenses exceeded revenues, declining net assets over multiple reporting periods, and operating deficits that required the organization to rely on reserves. Taylor routinely pays himself more annual salary than what is donated to charity.
Those publicly reported financial records do not, by themselves, establish misconduct or determine whether Taylor is right or wrong about the courthouse project.
They do, however, provide context when evaluating the financial judgment of the individual who now chairs the Milwaukee County Finance Committee and is asking taxpayers to defer to elected officials on one of the largest financial decisions in County history.
Public confidence is built on transparency, accountability, and demonstrated financial stewardship.
When Chairman Taylor argues taxpayers should not decide because, in his view, they "don't have the information," citizens have every right to evaluate that statement in light of his own public record and leadership.
Related Coverage: The Steve Taylor Files
The questions raised in this editorial do not exist in a vacuum.
Over the past several months, Franklin Community News has published a series of investigative reports examining Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor's public record. Those reports are based on public court records, police reports, newspaper archives, campaign finance records, IRS filings, and other publicly available documents.
Among the issues previously reported by Franklin Community News are:
A criminal conviction for obstruction of an officer, arising from an incident in which Taylor was found guilty of interfering with a police investigation.
A harassment injunction entered following court proceedings involving threatening or intimidating communications, as reflected in court records.
Documented allegations from multiple individuals who have publicly claimed Taylor attempted to interfere in court proceedings, employment matters, or government processes involving people with whom he had political disagreements. Franklin Community News has reported these allegations alongside supporting documentation where available and has distinguished allegations from established findings.
Questions regarding financial stewardship during Taylor's tenure as Executive Director of the ROC Foundation, based on publicly filed IRS Form 990 returns showing recurring operating deficits, declining net assets over multiple reporting periods, and financial challenges reported by the organization.
Questions concerning transparency and ethics in his role as Milwaukee County Supervisor, including matters previously examined by Franklin Community News through public records requests and official government documents.
These reports do not determine how readers should view Supervisor Taylor or the courthouse project.
They do, however, provide important context when evaluating his assertion that Milwaukee County taxpayers should not decide for themselves because they "don't have the information."
Franklin Community News encourages readers to review the underlying court records, police reports, financial filings, and other source documents referenced in The Steve Taylor Files series and to reach their own informed conclusions.
Related reading: The Steve Taylor Files: From Harassment Injunction to Obstruction Conviction (Franklin Community News, June 2026).
If Voters Don't Have Enough Information, Then Give Them the Information
Chairman Taylor's argument was not that Milwaukee County doesn't need a courthouse.
His argument was that voters don't have enough information to make an informed decision.
If that's true, the solution isn't to prevent taxpayers from voting.
The solution is to provide them with the information.
Milwaukee County has already committed $546,475 for communications and advocacy related to the Investing in Justice courthouse project.
If nearly $550,000 has been spent communicating with the public, taxpayers have every right to ask whether they have received the information they need to understand:
- The total long-term cost of the project.
- The projected borrowing costs, including interest.
- The anticipated impact on future County borrowing.
- The estimated impact on Milwaukee County property taxpayers.
Those are reasonable questions.
They deserve answers.
The Clock Is Ticking
Time is running short.
Every day that passes makes it more difficult for Milwaukee County to place an advisory referendum on the November 3, 2026, ballot if one is ultimately approved.
The Finance Committee's 4–3 vote did not necessarily end the discussion.
Milwaukee County Board Rule 1.09(b)(4) provides a procedure by which the full Milwaukee County Board may withdraw a matter from committee and consider it itself.
If enough County Supervisors believe taxpayers deserve the opportunity to vote, they have procedural options available to bring the issue before the full Board.
Whether those options are pursued now depends upon Milwaukee County's elected supervisors.
What Happens Next?
The Finance Committee's action delayed—but did not necessarily end—the discussion. Individual County Supervisors now have a choice. They can allow the committee's decision to stand, or they can pursue available procedures to bring the matter before the full Milwaukee County Board for consideration. Whether that happens may depend as much on public engagement over the next several days as it does on parliamentary procedure.
Take Action Before July 30
The next meeting of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for:
Thursday, July 30, 2026
12:00 p.m.
Milwaukee County Courthouse – Room 200
901 N. 9th Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Unlike committee meetings, general public comment is not permitted during regular County Board meetings.
That means your voice needs to be heard before July 30.
Call or email your County Supervisor today and ask them to:
✅ Support bringing the courthouse referendum before the full Milwaukee County Board under Rule 1.09(b)(4).
✅ Support allowing Milwaukee County taxpayers to vote before the County commits approximately $858 million in courthouse construction funding.
✅ If the November ballot can no longer be met because of election deadlines, publicly explain why and identify what options remain to give taxpayers a voice before construction borrowing is approved.
Then ask one simple question:
"Do you trust the people who elected you to make an informed decision if they are provided all the facts?"
Even though you cannot speak during the July 30 Board meeting, attend anyway.
A full boardroom sends a powerful message.
It tells elected officials that Milwaukee County taxpayers are paying attention to one of the largest public borrowing decisions in County history.
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Contact Information
The Bottom Line
This editorial is not about whether Milwaukee County needs a new courthouse.
It is about whether the people who will ultimately help pay for it deserve a voice before elected officials commit the County to approximately $858 million in construction funding.
Chairman Steve Taylor believes that decision belongs exclusively to elected officials.
Franklin Community News respectfully disagrees.
Representative government does not require elected officials to shield major public decisions from the people they serve.
It requires elected officials to trust the judgment of the citizens who entrusted them with office.
If Milwaukee County residents are expected to help finance one of the largest public construction projects in County history, they deserve more than an explanation after the fact.
They deserve a voice before the decision is made.
The courthouse debate will eventually end.
The principle at stake should not.
Trust the taxpayers. Let them vote.
How You Can Help
Before July 30, contact your Milwaukee County Supervisor.
Ask one question:
"Will you support allowing Milwaukee County taxpayers to vote before approximately $858 million in courthouse construction funding moves forward?"
Then ask them to explain their answer.
Representative government depends on informed citizens.
This is your opportunity to make your voice heard.
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