By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
A Waterford Town Board member who will be running for re-election this spring was recently convicted of drunken driving.
According to a report filed by the Racine County Sheriff’s Department, Timothy Szeklinski, 45, was arrested for his first offense of operating while intoxicated on Oct. 2.
Online court records showed further charges of a prohibited alcohol content as well a hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle.
The first of those two charges was dismissed, and the second “read in,” meaning the charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement but could be considered in sentencing.
Szeklinski was in court Dec. 23, with lawyer Timothy Daley to address the charges, and pleaded no contest to the drunken driving charge.
A total fine of $937.50 was assessed against Szeklinski in the case, and is due in March.
Szeklinski is one of three people running for two Town of Waterford Board positions in the spring, along with Jan Alvey and Teri Jendusa-Nicolai.
According to the Sheriff’s report, Town of Waterford police were called in to investigate the report of Szeklinski backing into another vehicle after leaving The Cruise Bar and Restaurant in Tichigan.
The Waterford officer requested the Racine County Sheriff’s Department take over the investigation due to Szeklinski’s Town Board position.
Szeklinski allegedly caused minor cosmetic damage to the other vehicle, and when sheriff’s deputies contacted Szeklinski at his home, he told them he hadn’t realized he’d struck the vehicle, the report contends.
Szeklinski allegedly admitted to drinking two light beers as well as three rum and Cokes.
According to the report, Szeklinski registered a preliminary breath test of .134, and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. The legal standard of intoxication in Wisconsin is .08.
Szeklinski said he would rather respond through his lawyer, whom he retained to address the charges in October.
He also said someone bringing the charge to light now – it did not result in a criminal complaint being filed with the Racine County District Attorney and all charges are considered as traffic forfeitures – had to do with the Town of Waterford entering into a contract to provide police services to the Village of Waterford.
That is a change from the decades-long policy of contracting with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.
Szeklinski said he felt he had a history of helping the community, and the conviction was coming to light now as likely an attempt to discredit him with an election upcoming. He also said there was more to the situation than what was in the report.
“I’m very active in the community,” Szeklinski said. “I’m in the Lions (Club) and I do a lot to support the community.”
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The public parking lots are still absolutely atrocious. Washington is a mess, what is it going to take for this to get cleaned up a broken hip?
A bit immature for him to blame his actions and their repercussions on someone else. Much less expect that he won’t be brought into the spotlight. A public official should take responsibility for their mistakes, not expect it to be covered up!!!
He plead guilty about a week ago…seems like timely reporting to me.
Why no mention of the the 2 Burlington police officers charged with OWI in December and are on paid leave? See journal times article
There is a separate story that ran in the Burlington Standard Press.
Correction, he plead no contest. How about taking responsibility for your actions and making a public apology. How in the world could this be some repercussions for the police contract when it was the town of Waterford Police Department who called the sheriff’s department to take care of it. It would appear that this gentleman is not the sharpest knife in the drawer