Election 2008: City of Franklin Mayoral Election
I want to insert a little bit of local politics in my occasional series on the 2008 elections. The April 1st local elections in Wisconsin feature an important battle for the identity of the city of Franklin. This city is located southwest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and faces many of the same problems as smaller cities throughout the United States. The future of community development, corporate investment and the face of Franklin rests between incumbent mayor Tom Taylor and challenger Basil Ryan.
Tom Taylor has been mayor of Franklin since 2005 and involved in city politics since his election as alderman in 1999. Basil Ryan is a former alderman from 2000 to 2003 and butted heads with Taylor frequently during his time in Franklin city government. There is plenty of dirt being thrown between the two sides with Ryan pointing out Taylor’s exorbitant pension from Milwaukee County and Taylor pointing to Ryan’s legal troubles related to his property management business. The low turnout expected for the April 1st elections means that dedicated voters may look past all of these accusations.
The city of Franklin faces development problems in the near future. The overuse of tax incremental financing (TIF) districts throughout Franklin means that an influx of families and businesses will happen in a chaotic fashion. The debate over selecting appropriate businesses to invest in Franklin without sacrificing the city’s identity will continue whether Taylor or Ryan wins the election.
I know that many people under the age of 50 don’t get too involved in local politics but I think every voter needs to get involved. The character of a community includes permanent residents as well as college students, temporary workers and others eligible to voice their opinion on ballots. It is a close call in my mind who should be mayor of Franklin but I am leaning toward Basil Ryan due to his focus on sound planning and an intensive focus on budget issues.
Leave a Reply