Some significant factors demonstrate incumbent Franklin Mayor Steve Olson is the superior choice for mayor in Tuesday’s election. Olson’s years of experience have been invaluable to the city: Mayor, 9 years; Alderman, 12 years; numerous boards and commissions. His list of quantitative and qualitative achievements dwarfs that of his opponent who doesn’t have such a list.

As mayor Olson has presided over the greatest period of growth in the history of the city of Franklin. During his mayoral run the community’s value has increased more than $2 billion or 37% ($3.3 billion in 2014 vs. $5.4 billion in 2022).

People want to live here. So housing has been addressed. More than 1,000 new homes, lots, apartments, and condos have been built.

Businesses want to set up shop here, like Saputo and Pretzilla.

Franklin built Kayla’s Playground. Mayor Olson was there day and night aiding with the construction in addition to his official city help with the entire process.

The top management at Ballpark Common supports Olson’s opponent that is mind-boggling. What’s undeniable is that under Olson’s watch the city contributed $33 million to the project.

Public Safety: Franklin’s police department is impeccable and has added 2.5 employees at a time when some police departments are cutting back. Franklin has added four more fighters for increased protection.

One of Olson’s proudest accomplishments, and that of the entire city for that matter, may be the most important issue to residents on an emotional and personal level.

Across Wisconsin, more than 100 communities have approved ordinances that restrict where released sex offenders can live or congregate. They were modeled after Franklin’s ordinances, the first of their kind in the state, that were ruled constitutional. Communities wanted them because they believe them to be effective in protecting their children.

Those laws are on the books here in Franklin thanks to the hard work and dedication of thousands of Franklin residents. The architect of those Franklin ordinances was Steve Olson.

I personally saw Olson appear before other elected counterparts. He’d systematically provide information about what Franklin did, why and how. Though supportive of the concept of restrictive ordinances, Olson stopped short of instructing what he believed each municipality should specifically do, urging other local officials to consider, instead, what is best for their communities.

In September of 2015 Olson wrote a letter to members of a state Assembly committee that was considering sex offender legislation. Olson’s letter read in part:

The City of Franklin has been at the forefront of protecting its’ youngest citizens from sex offenders. We were the first city in the state to enact thoughtful and fair residency restrictions on convicted sex offenders in 2007. Our ordinance has been used by a large number of communities throughout the state as the model for their own ordinances.

Franklin crafted our ordinance to protect our children from the threat of sex offenders. We held four public hearings and debated at length the protection zones as well as the distances we felt we needed to protect our children given our community make up and geography. We did our research and we balanced our efforts to protect our children with the rights of sex offenders. We felt it important to be responsible and have areas available to accommodate sex offenders.

We were also the first community to prosecute (and defend) our ordinance. Our ordinance and several others across the state have been held to be enforceable and constitutional.

The Franklin Police Department has used City Ordinance 167 to successfully restrict the residency of sex offenders in the City of Franklin numerous times.

Finally, the mayor is like a governor. He/she must get things done while knowing how to successfully navigate a number of departments. As Olson recently told the website Patch:
The Mayor must have a wide background. Understand financing, both municipal and construction; know municipal ordinances and good planning practices. Must know a bit about each of the departments in the city including engineering, DPW and how streets are maintained and plowed. Be knowledgeable about Fire/EMS and law enforcement to advocate for their needs. And a Mayor must be involved. Must participate in all types of events including parades, Christmas tree lightings, Veterans memorials, seniors events, business events. This all takes time and experience.

I submit Olson has the necessary background and then some, His opponent does not.

Please join me in voting for Steve Olson Tuesday, April 4^th.