Wisconsin Right Now has confirmed that Franklin Mayor John Nelson is on administrative leave from his position as a police lieutenant in the Town of Waterford.
Nelson was one of two police lieutenants who were placed on administrative leave, sources told WRN.
We are still investigating the reason and have open records requests out to that regard. We sent Nelson an email requesting comment and asking why he was placed on leave.
We’ve also learned that the Racine County Sheriff’s Department will be supervising the Town of Waterford Police Department while the matter is under investigation.
We sent an open records request to Waterford Police for reports related to an alleged incident involving Nelson. However, we were told the case “was referred to the Racine District Attorney’s office. Therefore, you would need to contact them directly to get permission for us to release any information on this case.”
We sent an email to the Town of Waterford’s Board Chairperson, Teri Nicolai, asking a series of questions. She responded, “The Town of Waterford Board has placed some of our PD Staff on administrative leave, pending investigations. As I am sure you understand, we are not at liberty to discuss the details at this time.”
She said she hoped that Wisconsin Right Now would “rely on information from leadership.”
She confirmed, “The Racine County Sheriff Dept is assisting us to ensure public safety is not compromised. Any other details will come out at the appropriate time.”
Nicolai declined to explain the nature of the investigation or confirm the identities of the “PD staff on administrative leave.” However, our sources confirmed that Nelson is one of them.
According to the City of Franklin’s website, Nelson “is a lifelong resident of Franklin and previously served 6 years as Alderman for the City of Franklin. John attended the Franklin school system from Country Dale Elementary through Franklin High School.”
The website says Nelson holds “a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. He has served as a law enforcement professional since 1994 and holds the current rank of Lieutenant with the Waterford Police Department.”
According to his LinkedIn page, Nelson was previously Safety, Security and Training Manager for the Milwaukee County Parks Department and was a lieutenant in the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department. He also served on the City of Franklin Police and Fire Commission.
As Franklin’s mayor, Nelson is serving a term through April 2026.
His tenure has been marked with controversies about sound issues involving the Roc entertainment and sporting complex. Nelson was present at a meeting where other people trashed neighbors and a county supervisor as idiots and terrorists.
A statement from Nicolai on the town website says the Town of Waterford is “located in the northwest corridor of Racine County. Our Town covers 33.5 square miles (2 of which are water), and is a place where 6,498 people call home.”
