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Greenfield mayor asks state to appeal FEMA denial; city resumes internal probe of police chief

City of Greenfield Common Council ยท November 5, 2025

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Summary

In the mayor's report, Greenfield's mayor asked Gov. Evers to appeal FEMA's denial of reimbursement for this year's flooding and read a statement confirming criminal charges filed against Police Chief Jay Johnson; the mayor said the city's internal investigation has resumed and Johnson remains on paid administrative leave.

During the Nov. 4 common council meeting, the mayor asked the office of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to formally appeal FEMA's decision to deny public cost reimbursement for this year's flooding, saying "actual expenses and damages approach $1,000,000" and that the denial poses a fiscal challenge for Greenfield.

The mayor also read an official statement addressing recent developments involving Police Chief Jay Johnson. "We understand criminal charges have been filed against Chief Jay Johnson, who is currently on paid administrative leave ... the city was asked by [the outside criminal investigator] to pause its internal investigation for multiple months," the mayor said. He added that "the city has resumed its internal investigation and seeks to conclude the investigation in a timely, thorough, and fair manner" and that Johnson "is entitled to due process and will continue to be paid administrative leave" as required by state law.

The statement did not include additional details about the criminal charges, and there was no public response from Chief Johnson or his legal counsel recorded in the meeting. The mayor's remarks recorded the city's procedural posture: it paused an internal probe at the request of an external criminal investigation and has now restarted the city-level review.

Separately, when the council approved renewal of the city's contract with John's Disposal Service for refuse and debris removal, the mayor praised the company's disaster response and said the city's bill to that vendor for flood cleanup was roughly $66,000, with about 620 tons of material removed. That figure was presented as an estimate.

Next steps: The mayor's request to Gov. Evers is an external appeal beyond the council's control; the internal investigation of Chief Johnson will proceed according to city policy and state law, and the mayor said the city seeks to conclude it "in a timely, thorough, and fair manner." Any formal personnel action would be based on the outcome of the investigations.