There’s only one primary election in the south suburban area Tuesday and it’s here in Franklin.
In the 2ND Aldermanic District the incumbent Dan Mayer is running as well as two challengers, Michelle Eichmann and Le Roy Lewandowski.
I know absolutely nothing about Eichmann so I cannot comment about her. But I know a lot about Lewandowski.
Look, let’s be honest. Mayer as the incumbent has a huge advantage. That’s unfortunate. He’s a bad alderman and needs to be sent packing.
Mayer is anti-Mayor Olson, anti-growth, anti-economic development, was anti-Kayla’s Playground, is anti-Ballpark Commons. He lacks any foresight, insight, or vision for the city. Some constituents have told me has been late to respond to their inquiries.
There are many reasons Mayer needs to go. One of the most serious was his behavior back in July of 2015, unbecoming of even an alderman in a city of 35,000.
Mayer’s conduct was outrageous, and even though he apologized much later the damage was done. A veteran parks commissioner’s renewal was rejected, not because of his performance, but because his comments bruised some fragile egos on Franklin’s Common Council.
There’s more to Mayer’s dismal record.
A June 2018 mysouthnow article about a Franklin Common Council meeting noted there were several items on the agenda dealing with approvals of various components of the Ballpark Commons project. Ballpark Commons is in Mayer’s district.
Many of the votes to approve were 4-1 in favor. Mayer was the lone ‘no’ vote every single time.
Obviously Mayer is no friend or supporter of Ballpark Commons. Hell, if I represented that district I’d personally be doing cartwheels and rolling out the red carpet.
On June 7, 2018, the groundbreaking ceremony for Ballpark Commons was held.
Every Franklin Common Council member was there, except Mayer.
It’s apparent to me that Mayer has sold out to the vocal minority (on his Facebook page Alderman Steve Taylor calls them “crazies”) that are desperately using every effort to badmouth what is a done deal that will be great for Franklin.
Mayer was also a major obstructionist on Kayla’s Playground.
Plus, he’s been a thorn in the side of Mayor Olson and his efforts at enhancing economic development in our city.
Look, I wouldn’t know Mayer if our carts bumped into each other at Sendik’s. He may be just like me, the absolute salt of the earth.
But my goodness, on the two biggest projects in the history of the city of Franklin he has firmly planted himself in the doorway of advancement, growth, and progress. As a result I ask, what good is he to his district and the city? What are his goals and vision? If he exists on the council just to thwart the mayor and any attempt to better our city, again, what good is he?
Yet, to repeat, he has a huge advantage in Tuesday’s election.
But what if somehow, someway, Le Roy Lewandowski pulls it off. Survives the primary. Then wins the general.
Lewandowski is 91 years old who has a computer and a car. He’s a curmudgeon with a capital “C.”
He persistently hammers city officials with e-mails. He attends many, many, public meetings and speaks at most, and quite frankly, is annoying. Everything being done by Franklin, and he will say on the record, is a “disaster.”
An Alderman Lewandowksi will ask 1,000 questions at every Council meeting, 500 more than my Alderman/woman/person/alder whatever Kristen Wilhelm.
Lewandowski will make the guy who said “There is no such thing as a stupid question” look like a fool.
Every time he speaks every eye in the place will roll.
Lewandowksi will ramble more than any member of the Allman Brothers Band (Le Roy, if you’re reading, just trust me. It’s a great line).
Meetings will go on an on and on and on.
Mayor Olson, if he had any hair, will be pulling it out.
Lewandowski will drive the mayor, the entire Council, the city staff, the audience, even people in the parking lot, totally out of their minds.
I would love and actually pay to see it.
For Lewandowski who has a reputation of saying stuff that makes most folks grimace, when I ran into him this past weekend he spoke realistically.
“I don’t think I’m gonna win,” he told me with that constant grin on his face.
And if you do, I asked.
“I’m gonna try to straighten out the place.”
You’ll never ever get that to happen, I respectfully responded.
An Alderman Lewandowski couldn’t do that.
But my goodness it would be entertaining to watch. The current ineffective administration deserves an Alderman Lewandowski, if nothing else, to keep them on their toes.
UPDATE
| Franklin Alderperson Dist. 2 100% reporting |
| Daniel Mayer – i |
70% |
248 |
| Michelle Eichmann |
20% |
72 |
| Le Roy Lewandowski |
10% |
36 |
