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Resident criticizes board for library funding cut, alleges money shifted to police expansion
Summary
Nathan Greenleaf told the Menomonee Falls Village Board that $300,000 reallocated from the library operating budget is now being used largely for police space and a school-office buyout, and urged trustees to be transparent after the library announced reduced weekday hours for 2026.
Nathan Greenleaf addressed the Village Board during public comment on July 7, saying the board’s recent reallocation of $300,000 from the library’s operating budget has already led to cuts in library services and appears to be funding police space expansion and a buyout of school-district administration offices.
Greenleaf, who gave his name and address to the clerk, said trustees had previously assured residents the reallocation would not affect library services. “It wasn’t,” he said, “but I think a week later we received notification that in 2026 the library is going to be closing an hour earlier on weekdays, thereby removing an hour of learning, discovery, and exploration that my kids enjoy.”
He told the board the $300,000 was described to the public as staffing money but that “almost 85% of that $300,000 amount would go towards just expanding police administrative space” and a buyout of the school’s administration lease, rather than hiring. He directly urged trustees to be transparent about the spending and ownership of that decision: “If you can’t back your decisions with transparency and honesty, just vacate your seats,” he said. He also accused board members of “piss on my head and tell me it’s raining” dishonesty in how the change was communicated.
The resident named specific trustees in his remarks as having confirmed the intended staffing use of the funds at the prior meeting. Under the board’s public-comment rules (read aloud at the start of the period), trustees do not respond to or debate matters raised during the comment period; the board closed the public comment period after Greenleaf spoke.
No formal response or vote followed during public comment. The board moved on to the scheduled public hearing and other agenda items.
