In the Race
Now, here, you see, it takes all the blogging I can do to keep in the same place.
If I want to get somewhere else, I must blog twice as fast as that!
You see, I'm in
the Red Queen's Race...
A Message from Franklin Common Council President Taylor
By Janet Evans
Thursday, May 8 2008, 11:09 AM
Alderman Steve Taylor sent me a note to share with the citizens of Franklin.
He will do this from time to time as one way of keeping in touch with the community.:
May 7, 2008
Dear Janet,
There have been some recent comments and discussions about my preparedness, whether it is as Common Council President or as a member of the Finance Committee. Let me start out by assuring the citizens of Franklin that I know that Rick Oliva is the Chief of Police and Jerry Schaefer is the Superintendent of Public Works. As a matter of fact, I have spent the last three weeks meeting with each and every Department Head. I have done this in order to better understand what they do and to let them know what I expect of them and tell them how I operate. If I have a problem with how an employee is performing I will talk to them in private and discuss my concerns. I will not fill up an entire Committee of the Whole agenda in order to publicly browbeat city staff.
There have been two Common Council meetings since I have been the Alderman of the 4th district. Since these meetings, I have gotten the impression that there are some who would like me to be more vocal. This will happen over time. However, I will not speak just to hear my own voice. I believe doing this lessens one’s impact on the debate. Also, I believe citizens in attendance and fellow alderman will start to say, “Hear he goes again”.
On Tuesday night I was appointed to the Finance Committee. I campaigned on holding the line on taxes. The Mayor has signed a tax pledge. It only makes sense to appoint someone who has the same feelings on the city budget. The Mayor and I have a common interest and that is to be fiscally responsible in the upcoming year. There are those out there who may not realize that I served on the Finance Committee for three years in La Crosse. The only difference is that in La Crosse it is the Alderman that creates the budget. There are no citizens involved until the public hearing. I prefer to have the responsibility rest on my shoulders.
I have spent my first month in office trying to thank most of my supporters. I have already reached out to some for their opinions and guidance. I have received numerous phone calls and emails regarding issues that not only face the 4th district but also the City. I have only had one person contact me on the “Boomgaard” naming controversy. I have read the blogs and I encourage those to contact me to voice their concerns. I am excited about what the next three years have to bring and I am hoping to hear from my constituents. I can be reached at 414-301-9786 or staylor@franklinwi.gov.
Please post this on you blog for your readers. Thank you for continuing to keep our citizens informed.
Steve F. Taylor
Common Council President
