Franklin's newest Common Council member says city has 'definitely changed for the better'

Franklin’s Common Council has appointed Jon Peccarelli as District 1 alderman.

Peccarelli was appointed to finish the remainder of Ald. Ed Holpfer’s term which expires April 14, 2025. The District 1 seat will be on the April 1 spring election ballot with the winner of that election serving a three-year term.

Holpfer resigned in June because recent changes, including extended out of state travel, would cause him to "miss far too many council and related committee meetings to effectively perform the role,” he wrote in an email to Mayor John Nelson and others.

Holpfer was initially appointed to the seat in August 2021, replacing Mark Dandrea who resigned after his wife accepted a job which required them to move. Holpfer was elected in spring 2022, defeating Deborah Davis.

“We appreciate the years of service Ed gave to the city and are grateful for the citizens who expressed interest in filling the vacancy," Nelson said in a statement. "I was impressed with Jon during the (July 9) common council meeting and look forward to collaborating with him to elevate the growth in both the First District and our community."

Peccarelli was selected over two others who applied for the position: Clarke W. Johnson and former District 5 alderman Doug Schmidt. Peccarelli got three council votes while Johnson got two and Schmidt got zero.

During its July 9 special meeting, the council held a question-and-answer meeting with the three candidates. Each council member was able to ask the candidates two questions.

Here are excerpts from Peccarelli's responses:

What is Jon Peccarelli's background?

A Franklin resident for 45 years, Peccarelli has a background in computer science and obtained a master's degree in finance analysis from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He said he’s worked for a Fortune 500 company for the last 27 years in various IT roles and is currently IT director.

He built a house in Franklin in 2000 and still lives there today with his wife and three children.

He sees Franklin growing and becoming “a much larger city than when I first was here.”

“To me, that’s very exciting,” Peccarelli told the council. He wants to make a positive impact on the community and "be the voice for District 1” to ensure successful growth while being fiscally responsible.

How will you get input from constituents and communicate with them?

Peccarelli described himself as very strategic and execution focused.

“I am very open when it comes to trying to gather information to make decisions,” he said. “I value multiple viewpoints; I am a very strong proponent of using data to make decisions.”

He said surveys and other means can be helpful to understand other issues happening in the city but he thinks one-on-one communication is key.

“Having an actual conversation goes a long way,” he said.

Peccarelli also highlighted the benefits of technology like Zoom and how that can also be effective in maintaining communication when people have busy schedules.

Why didn’t you run during the last election for District 1?

“At that time, I didn’t feel it was the right thing to be doing,” Peccarelli said, adding he did run for school board in the last election.

But he said things can change over time.

“I’m at a point where I definitely want to be more involved and feel I have the skills and commitment to make a difference, so that’s why I’m here today,” he said.

What steps will you take to promote equity and inclusion in District 1 and in city as a whole?

“Franklin as an overall community has definitely changed for the better, I would say, over the last 30, 40, 50 years,” Peccarelli said. “It's continuing to ensure everyone has opportunities, that everyone is heard and has a voice and it’s part of my role as an alderperson to be that voice as well.”

What should be prioritized in the next budget and what would be your strategy to cut costs if need be?

The District 1 alderperson is traditionally on the finance committee and Peccarelli said he’s “very comfortable” being there.

His approach would be to rank items on the budget based on impact, so if something has to be cut there’s a better understanding of what that means to the department and city.

He also said sometimes spending money, investing in something, saves money in the future.

What’s the biggest strength or opportunity in District 1 and in the city as a whole?

Peccarelli said the city needs to work with area resources, such as the Milwaukee 7, which is a regional cooperative economic development platform comprised of seven counties in southeastern Wisconsin.

The Milwaukee 7's official website says the mission is “to drive growth by helping homegrown businesses expand while attracting new business and talent.”

Peccarelli said Franklin needs to understand what options are out there and work to attract “a business everyone can agree on.”

“That might not happen, but we’ll start there,” he said.

Are you likely to run a full reelection campaign in spring?

“If selected, 100% I’d be running a full campaign for reelection,” Peccarelli said.

Can you deal with harsh comments on social media and possibly losing or straining existing friendships based on your position?

Peccarelli said he has “very high ethical standards” and seeks out many different viewpoints on topics and truly listens to them.

“Demonstrating empathy goes a long way toward maintaining relationships,” he said.

How would you be a bridge connecting finance to other departments or committees/commissions in the city?

Peccarelli said making such connections has been part of his role at his day job.

“A lot of my career has been a client relationship manager,” he said, referring to working with supply chains, human resources and many other departments.

This nine-month term is a very truncated timeline. How will you execute your vision for District 1?

“Nine months actually, to me, seems like a good amount of time,” Peccarelli said, adding how in his job “we operate at a very fast pace.”

He did acknowledge he needs to be realistic in what can be covered in nine months, but said he’s a fast learner.

“I’ve got to get more active with the departments, understand what their challenges are, and then also understand from a constituent standpoint where their concerns are and do that in a much-abbreviated timeline,” he said. “I’ve had a learning curve at every position I’ve been in.”

What do you think is the biggest challenge the city of Franklin is facing today?

“I would start with building a strong, connected community,” Peccarelli said. “I feel we’ve fractured a little bit here.”

Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Meet Jon Peccarelli, Franklin's newly-appointed District 1 alderman