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Mayor says he involved city attorney after questions about alderperson; council tables action until October
Summary
Mayor Ben Holien told the council he sought the city attorney’s help after questions arose about an ethics‑related incident involving an alderperson; a resident said he felt targeted, and councilors agreed the matter would be tabled until October while employee compensation was handled in a closed session and added to the 2026 budget.
Mayor Ben Holien addressed the Common Council about a prior meeting’s matter involving an alderperson, saying he sought legal advice from the city attorney once the city began receiving questions about an alleged ethical incident and emphasizing the action was not a personal vendetta.
Resident Sean Tenant asked how a councilmember who was not present could be removed without cause and said he felt targeted by the mayor. Councilmember Kim Beseler responded that the other council members, aside from the person in question, agreed that action was warranted and that cause was documented in the previous month’s minutes. The council ultimately tabled formal action on the alderperson until October.
Separately, the council moved into a closed session under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(c) to discuss employee evaluations and compensation, returned to open session, and recorded that compensation decisions would be incorporated into the 2026 budget.
