By Patricia Bogumil
Editor
Harsh spoken words have resulted in a complaint being filed by Waterford Town Supervisor Lisa Jeschke against Town Supervisor Tim Szeklinski.
The matter is being investigated by the City of Racine Police Department. Its public information officer said Tuesday that Racine police are investigating at the request of the Racine County District Attorney’s office.
She referred requests for more information to the district attorney’s office, which did not respond by press time Wednesday.
Town Police Chief Tom Ditscheit said Jeschke contacted him March 27 about a verbal incident she said occurred March 19.
Jeschke provided information alleging that Szeklinski had improperly encouraged her to vote a certain way on an issue before the Town Board, Ditscheit explained.
Her allegations were then sent to the City of Racine police for outside investigation. It would be inappropriate for a town employee such as himself to investigate this dispute between town elected officials, Ditscheit explained.
Jeschke confirmed Monday that she had filed a police report. “It’s still under investigation so I don’t want to jeopardize the investigation” by speaking further, Jeschke said Monday.
“I’d love to stop the gossip in one fell swoop, but it is what it is.”
Jeschke described the verbal incident as being “extremely upsetting.”
Town Chairman Robert Langmesser said the issue concerns alleged attempted extortion in regards to town employee staffing.
A vacancy recently arose in the Department of Public Works due to the resignation of one full-time employee, Langmesser explained.
The Town Board needs to decide whether to replace that worker by hiring another full-time employee; one or two part-time employees; or no one at all.
Jeschke and Szeklinski apparently disagree on how to handle that issue, Langmesser said.
In the alleged verbal incident, Szeklinski is said to have told Jeschke that if she’s cutting down the DPW staffing, then the town can also cut down on police staffing.
Jeschke’s husband, a town police officer, would likely be the officer eliminated in a downsizing, Langmesser said.
“The only thing that Tim did was use poor judgment,” Langmesser opined.
He said the dispute should have first come before the Town Board for resolution, where Szeklinski could have received a reprimand, if warranted. But Jeschke went straight to the police instead of trying to resolve it at the board level, he said.
“It should have gone through the proper channels,” Langmesser said. “Now it’s become the big gossip of the Town of Waterford.”
Like Jeschke, Szeklinski said he did not want to talk publicly about the dispute.
But he said town supervisors need to work together for the benefit of the taxpayers.
“This whole thing is all a distraction,” Szeklinski said, adding: “I’m one person on a board of five. I don’t oversee the Police Department or the DPW. I’m there for the taxpayers.”
On April 6, the Town Board met in closed session to discuss filling the DPW position.
In the open session that followed, Langmesser made a motion to hire a DPW new employee; his motion failed for lack of a second, according to unofficial minutes of that meeting.
Jeschke then made a motion to not hire a full-time DPW person at this time, but to revisit the issue if necessary down the road. Her motion also failed due to lack of a second.
Szeklinski then made a motion (approved unanimously) to table the issue for 30-45 days, when it can be revisited by new Town Chairman Tom Hincz, who next week replaces the retiring Langmesser as Town Chairman.
At that time, the board will also have appointed a replacement for Hincz’s now-vacant trustee seat.
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Jeschke needs to calm down and quit wasting our taxpaying money for police investigations. The Police should be woring about other things than the Waterford Board. Please resign Jeschke..PLEASE!
When will the Racine County Sheriff’s Department administration stop using this venue to try and acquire the Town of Waterford Police Department. Everyone knows it’s them doing these postings.
That makes sense Mr. Wallburg, let’s have Szeklinski stay on the board for commiting this act, but call for Jeschke to step down for reporting it to the proper authorities? Blackmail is still a crime,isn’t it? Sounds like you’re asking the wrong board member to step down to me.
I think this whole thing is silly. Really, an investigation Ms. Jeschke? Get a grip on yourself and put your big girl pants on!
Mr. Johanson, I fail to see the connection between the Sheriff’s Department and two of our town supervisors fueding. Since you brought it up however, I’m all in favor of the sheriff’s department taking over our police agency. My sister lives in the Town of Burlington and they are very happy with both the better police service combined with the great savings. It is something we should look at closely.
Adam, your sister’s expectations and math are both questionable. My original posting is confirmed. Thank you.
I too think contracting with the sheriff’s dept. is a idea worth exploring.
I agree with Wallburg. Jeschke appears to be wasting our tax dollars with this silly claim. Time for self-serving public officials to step down, and make room for those without a hidden (yet obvious) agenda who will get to work on real town business.
I think that the Sheriffs dept is much more useful. They report the constitution, not a figure head.
We in the Town of Burlington should have kept our own police department, Racine County is costing way more now!
…what was the outcome of this complaint?