SOURCES: STEVE TAYLOR WAS ASKED TO STEP DOWN FROM PAID ROC FOUNDATION POSITION

SOURCES: STEVE TAYLOR WAS ASKED TO STEP DOWN FROM PAID ROC FOUNDATION POSITION

Taylor reportedly remains an unpaid board member as Foundation Vice President Frank Horning temporarily assumes executive responsibilities

By Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi
Franklin Community News

Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve F. Taylor was asked to step down as the paid executive director of the ROC Foundation, according to two independent, unrelated sources familiar with the Foundation’s operations.

Both sources told Franklin Community News that Foundation Vice President Frank Horning asked Taylor to leave the executive-director position. Taylor reportedly remains on the Foundation’s board of directors but now serves without compensation.  

The sources said Horning—the father-in-law of ROC Ventures CEO Mike Zimmerman—has temporarily assumed the executive director’s responsibilities.

The reported change has not been publicly announced or explained. The ROC Foundation’s website continues to identify Taylor as executive director, leaving donors, sponsors and the public with apparently outdated information about who is managing the tax-exempt organization.

FCN has not obtained Foundation meeting minutes, payroll records or employment documents independently confirming whether or when Taylor was asked to step down. FCN contacted Frank Horning and Mike Zimmerman and asked them to confirm, deny or correct the reported leadership change. As of 2:00 p.m. on September 14, 2026, neither had responded. Accordingly, the leadership change, Horning’s temporary responsibilities and Taylor’s unpaid board status remain attributed to two independent sources familiar with the Foundation’s operations.

From Election Defeat to a Paid ROC Position

Taylor’s relationship with the ROC Foundation began after voters removed him from the Milwaukee County Board.

On April 3, 2018, challenger Patti Logsdon defeated incumbent Supervisor Taylor in the District 9 County Board election. The result was reported by WUWM and appears in Milwaukee County’s certified election results.

Approximately 20 months later, on December 5, 2019, Taylor announced that he had accepted the executive-director position with the newly formed ROC Foundation.

Taylor disclosed the new position in an announcement stating that he would not seek election as Milwaukee County Supervisor or run for another office during the 2020 election cycle.

The announcement published by Urban Milwaukee described the Foundation as an independent 501(c)(3) organization partnered with ROC Ventures.

Taylor nevertheless emphasized the close relationship between the organizations, stating that having ROC Ventures’ resources available would help him pursue the Foundation’s mission.

Taylor accepted the Foundation job while he was no longer on the County Board, although he was still serving as a Franklin alderman.

The potential overlap with County responsibilities became more direct after Taylor returned to the Milwaukee County Board in 2022 while continuing to receive compensation from the Foundation.

Taylor Reportedly Loses Position Paying Approximately $79,000

The ROC Foundation’s latest publicly available IRS filing reports approximately $79,000 in executive compensation for 2024.

That is the latest documented annual compensation associated with Taylor’s executive position. Because the Foundation’s 2025 return and 2026 payroll records are not publicly available, FCN cannot determine whether the amount changed before Taylor was reportedly asked to step down.

Taylor continues receiving approximately $32,819 annually as a Milwaukee County supervisor.

If his Foundation compensation remained near the 2024 level, Taylor’s publicly identified paid positions previously provided approximately:

• ROC Foundation executive compensation: $79,000

• Milwaukee County supervisor salary: $32,819

• Combined identified annual compensation: $111,819

Taylor’s departure from the paid Foundation position would therefore eliminate approximately $79,000 in annual compensation—a reduction of approximately 71% in his publicly documented salaried compensation.

That does not necessarily mean Taylor’s County salary is his only income.

Taylor also owns an active private consulting company whose clients, revenue and payments to Taylor are not publicly known.

Journal Sentinel Exposed Two Disclosure Omissions

Taylor’s consulting company was the subject of one of two Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigations published within four days in December 2023.

Foundation Employment Was Not Disclosed

On December 18, 2023, the Journal Sentinel published:

“For years, County Supervisor Steve Taylor failed to disclose financial ties to The Rock”

The newspaper reported that Taylor had not disclosed his paid ROC Foundation employment on the financial-disclosure documents required of Milwaukee County officials.

Taylor subsequently amended his Statement of Economic Interests to identify the employment.

The omission was significant because the Foundation is affiliated with ROC Ventures and Ballpark Commons—entities connected to a Franklin redevelopment in which Taylor had participated while holding public office.

Consulting Company Also Was Not Disclosed

Four days later, on December 22, the Journal Sentinel published:

“County Supervisor Steve Taylor fails to disclose self-named business on ethics statement”

That report disclosed that Taylor also had not listed Steve Taylor Consulting LLC on his County ethics filing.

Taylor again amended the disclosure after the newspaper questioned him.

Within the same week, outside reporting identified two separate financial relationships absent from Taylor’s original disclosures:

• His paid employment with the ROC Foundation

• His ownership of Steve Taylor Consulting LLC

Taylor corrected both filings after the omissions became public.

Steve Taylor Consulting LLC Remains Active

The consulting company has not been dissolved.

The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions currently identifies Steve Taylor Consulting, LLC as an organized Wisconsin domestic limited liability company.

The state record establishes that Taylor continues to maintain the LLC as an active legal entity. It does not establish whether the company is actively performing consulting work or producing revenue.

The company remains a possible source of income and an unresolved part of Taylor’s financial interests.

That is relevant because Taylor chairs the Milwaukee County Finance Committee and participates in decisions involving contracts, spending, development and capital projects.

Earlier FCN Investigation Examined the Overlap

In August 2025, FCN published “Supervisor Taylor’s ROC Foundation: Charity or Charade?”, examining the overlap among Taylor’s public offices, Foundation employment, consulting company and activities connected to ROC Ventures.

That investigation reported that the Foundation paid:

• 2021 professional and independent-contractor fees: $40,022

• 2022 professional and independent-contractor fees: $32,786

• Two-year total: $72,808

The tax returns did not identify the recipients of those payments.

Investigative sources questioned whether any portion went to Steve Taylor Consulting LLC. FCN has not obtained invoices, cancelled checks, vendor ledgers or tax records establishing that Taylor’s company received the money.

The recipient of the $72,808 therefore remains an unanswered question—not an established payment to Taylor or his company.

The earlier investigation also reported that public records showed Taylor using his Foundation email address in communications involving:

• ROC Ventures operations

• Franklin development matters connected to Ballpark Commons

• Communications with elected officials

• Governmental matters affecting ROC-connected activities

• Political activity, including his involvement with Franklin campaigns

Those records raised questions about whether Taylor’s work was confined to administering the charitable Foundation.

Independent Foundation—or Organizational Buffer?

The ROC Foundation was publicly described as independent from ROC Ventures. In practice, records reviewed by FCN show significant overlap.

Taylor:

• Received compensation from the ROC Foundation.

• Used a rocventures.org email address.

• Communicated about operational and governmental matters affecting ROC Ventures.

• Maintained Steve Taylor Consulting LLC.

• Returned to the County Board while remaining the Foundation’s paid executive director.

• Participated in public matters potentially affecting ROC-connected entities.

• Initially failed to disclose both his Foundation employment and consulting company on County ethics filings.

A March 16, 2026 email previously obtained by FCN illustrates the overlap.

Using his ROC Ventures email account, Taylor communicated with Franklin officials about festival permits sought for ROC Ventures events. He referenced materials prepared for the Franklin Common Council and stated that “Mike and I” would discuss the proposal and answer questions.

That communication appears broader than traditional fundraising or youth-program administration. It shows Taylor participating in a governmental matter involving permits sought for ROC Ventures operations.

The documented overlap raises a central question:

Was Taylor acting solely as executive director of the independent charitable Foundation, or did that paid position also encompass government-relations and operational work benefiting ROC Ventures?

Critics have questioned whether the legally separate Foundation provided an appearance of arm’s-length separation while Taylor continued assisting the broader ROC organization.

FCN has not obtained evidence proving that the Foundation was created—or that Taylor was hired—with the specific intent to evade conflict-of-interest requirements. Describing the Foundation as a deliberate “shell” would therefore be a characterization rather than an independently established fact.

The available records support examination of how the organizations operated and which entity Taylor represented during particular communications.

Government Relations and a 501(c)(3)

Government relations are not automatically prohibited for a 501(c)(3) executive director.

The IRS explains that charitable organizations may discuss public policy and conduct some lobbying, although attempting to influence legislation cannot constitute a substantial part of a 501(c)(3)’s activities.

Federal tax law also prohibits a 501(c)(3) from participating or intervening in campaigns for or against candidates for public office. IRS campaign-intervention guidance.

The question is not simply whether Taylor communicated with government officials.

The relevant questions are:

1. Which organization was Taylor representing?

2. Was the work performed for the Foundation’s charitable mission or ROC Ventures’ business interests?

3. Which organization paid for Taylor’s time?

4. Did Taylor separately bill any work through his consulting company?

5. Did the Foundation board authorize operational or government-relations work for ROC Ventures?

6. Were the Foundation and ROC Ventures maintaining meaningful operational separation?

7. Were Taylor’s activities fully disclosed after he returned to the County Board?

8. Did Taylor recuse himself from County matters affecting ROC-connected entities?

Answering those questions would require records not presently available, including employment agreements, job descriptions, time records, invoices, consulting contracts and Foundation board minutes.

Uneven Financial Performance

The reported leadership change places renewed attention on the Foundation’s financial performance under Taylor.

ROC Foundation IRS filings show operating losses in 2020, 2021 and 2022, followed by a surplus in 2023 and another loss in 2024.

Executive compensation exceeded reported program-service spending in each year from 2020 through 2023:

• 2020: $56,735 in executive compensation compared with $2,835 in program spending

• 2021: $56,735 compared with $33,537

• 2022: $69,296 compared with $38,006

• 2023: $69,924 compared with $23,290

Over those four years, the Foundation reported approximately:

• Executive compensation: $252,690

• Program-service spending: $97,668

The Foundation therefore reported approximately $155,000 more in executive compensation than in program-service spending during that period.

In 2020, executive compensation was approximately 20 times reported program spending. In 2023, it was approximately three times program spending.

The Foundation’s 2024 return showed substantially greater program-service spending. It also reported:

• Revenue: Approximately $106,000

• Expenses: Approximately $125,000

• Operating loss: Approximately $19,000

• Year-end net assets: Approximately $17,000

Revenue declined approximately 44% from 2023, while net assets fell from approximately $36,000 to $17,000.

These figures do not establish why Horning reportedly asked Taylor to step down. They document the Foundation’s financial performance during Taylor’s tenure.

A Golf Tournament That Netted Negative $1

The ROC Foundation golf tournament has been one of its signature annual fundraising events.

The Foundation reported that its 2022 tournament generated $45,376 in gross receipts.

After $37,233 in direct expenses and another $8,144 in facility costs, the event produced a reported net result of:

NEGATIVE $1

The Foundation’s 2024 return reported $11,857 in gross receipts from its golf outing. Its separately reported jersey auction generated approximately $37,758 that year.

The golf tournament is therefore most accurately described as a signature or major fundraiser—not necessarily the largest event in every reporting year.

The relevant financial measure is the amount remaining after expenses to support the charitable mission.

Taylor Remained the 2026 Tournament Contact

Although Taylor reportedly no longer served as paid executive director, he remained publicly connected to the seventh annual tournament.

The public event listing identified:

Organizer Contact: Steve Taylor, ROC Foundation
stevet@rocventures.org

The listing did not identify Taylor as executive director. It described him only as “Steve Taylor, ROC Foundation,” consistent with the sources’ account that he remained involved as an unpaid board member.

The announcement stated:

“Please join us on August 21st, 2026 for the 7th Annual ROC Foundation Golf Tournament presented by The Boldt Company! Proceeds will benefit Make-A-Wish.”

The tournament was held August 21 at Whitnall Park Golf Course in Franklin. Registration was listed at $150 per golfer.

Make-A-Wish Confirms Fundraising Purpose

Based on the tournament materials and filings reviewed by FCN, the 2026 event is the first identified ROC Foundation golf tournament promoted as benefiting a specifically named, independent charitable organization.

Make-A-Wish Wisconsin subsequently confirmed through its verified Instagram account that the event occurred.

The organization reported that 116 golfers participated and that the tournament raised funds to help provide wishes for children facing critical illnesses.

Make-A-Wish thanked the golfers, the Foundation and its sponsors.

The tournament announcement and Make-A-Wish post establish that the event was intended to benefit Make-A-Wish and raised funds for that purpose.

Neither organization has publicly disclosed:

• Gross tournament revenue

• Direct and indirect expenses

• Net proceeds

• The amount transferred to Make-A-Wish

FCN therefore is not reporting that all money collected was donated or assigning a dollar value to the contribution.

The evidence establishes that the tournament raised funds for Make-A-Wish. It does not establish how much Make-A-Wish ultimately received.

From Foundation Finances to County Finance Chairman

Taylor’s reported departure comes only months after his appointment as chairman of the Milwaukee County Board’s Committee on Finance.

He also serves as chairman of the Capital Improvements Committee and as a member of the Community, Environment and Economic Development Committee and Parks and Culture Committee.

In announcing his Finance Committee position, Taylor said he would pursue “responsible budgeting” and warned that Milwaukee County faces a projected $50.8 million shortfall. Milwaukee County’s announcement.

Taylor’s Foundation record provides context for evaluating those statements.

During his tenure, the Foundation:

• Reported losses in four of five years from 2020 through 2024

• Reported executive compensation exceeding program spending from 2020 through 2023

• Reported a golf tournament that collected more than $45,000 but lost money after expenses

• Paid nearly $73,000 in unidentified professional and contractor fees during 2021 and 2022

• Reported payments to the affiliated ROC Ventures organization

• Operated without several commonly recommended written governance policies

• Maintained a webpage that now appears inconsistent with the reported leadership structure

Taylor’s disclosure history also includes two separate financial relationships omitted until Journal Sentinel reporters asked questions.

The Bottom Line

According to two independent sources, Frank Horning asked Steve Taylor to step down from the ROC Foundation’s paid executive-director position.

Taylor reportedly lost a position associated with approximately $79,000 in annual compensation but remains on the Foundation board without pay.

His approximately $32,819 County Board salary is now his only publicly documented fixed salary. Taylor also maintains an active consulting company whose clients, revenue and payments to him are not publicly known.

Taylor’s reported departure does not remove the public-interest questions arising from his Foundation tenure, consulting company, disclosure amendments and overlapping ROC-related activities.

Those questions are particularly relevant because Taylor now chairs the Milwaukee County committee responsible for reviewing County finances.

A change in title does not change the underlying public record.

Source transparency: FCN has not obtained Foundation meeting minutes, payroll records or employment documents independently confirming whether or when Taylor left the paid executive-director position. Before publication, FCN contacted Foundation Vice President Frank Horning and ROC Ventures CEO Mike Zimmerman and asked them to confirm, deny or correct the reported leadership change. As of 2:00 p.m. on September 14, 2026, neither had responded. Accordingly, the report that Horning asked Taylor to step down, that Horning temporarily assumed the executive responsibilities and that Taylor remains an unpaid board member is attributed to two independent sources familiar with the Foundation’s operations. Public records and published reporting cited throughout this article independently establish the Foundation’s financial history, Taylor’s compensation history, his election and employment timeline, his County position and salary, his disclosure amendments and the active legal status of Steve Taylor Consulting LLC.

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.

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