Mayor disavows misleading campaign that seems to back him

Port Washington Mayor Ted Neitzke said last week that he has no connection with the Support the Port campaign that appears to back him as opponents of the Vantage Data Centers Lighthouse Campus are attempting to recall him.

“This is something I just want to publicly state was not authorized by me, run by me or asked for from me,” Neitzke said during the Feb. 3 Common Council meeting.

“I have no idea who’s running that or why they’re running it. Some of the information on there is incorrect, and I don’t endorse it.”

Neitzke said Monday that he has received a number of comments from people regarding the campaign, which has consisted of a website, social media posts and direct mail pieces marked “Paid for by Support the Port.”

He said he learned of the campaign when someone called to ask if he knew about it.

“As soon as I opened my Instagram account, there it was,” Neitzke said. “I was just surprised.  I didn’t really agree with the content.

“I don’t know who they are, and I don’t know where they get their information from.”

Neitzke said he hasn’t reported the mailings, website or social media posts, saying, “I don’t know who I would report it to. I’m not running for election.”

He said he doesn’t know whether the person or group behind Support the Port is a supporter or opponent of his.

“I’m assuming they have good intentions,” he said. “I assume that about everybody.”

Support the Port has mailed at least two fliers and lists as its address the Grafton PostNet store.

The fliers and posts feature photos of Neitzke and the Port lakefront and urge people to retain Neitzke as mayor. The most recent flier is marked as a public alert that a recall election will take money away from other city needs.

“Demand that your tax dollars go toward programs that help Port Washington thrive, not expensive elections,” it reads in part. “We shouldn’t waste taxpayer money on a recall election we don’t need.”

The initial flier, as well as some of the social media posts, praise Neitzke for his leadership, emphasis on public safety and responsible budgeting and credits him with increasing emergency medical services staffing, reducing the city tax rate, leading the charge for major water plant upgrades and cutting the city’s legal fees and liability costs.

When asked, Neitzke addressed some of the inaccuracies. For example, he said, he supported the referendum to increase the number of full-time paramedics but didn’t take the action.

“Our fire chief did it. Our residents did it,” he said. “I didn’t do it — we did it.”

The $21 million water plant project was driven by a Department of Natural Resources order to make improvements, Neitzke said.

“I didn’t do that,” he said.

And the most recent flier includes a statement that the city budget covers services that include public schools, something that isn’t true.

The mysterious Support the Port campaign seems to be the latest fallout from the controversy surrounding the data center, and Neitzke said he’s surprised by the continuing reaction to the project.

“I thought we were going to move forward,” he said. “When dump trucks started moving, I thought that would move us forward.  That’s not happening. 

“I want to make sure we follow our strategic plan, to ensure we have a sustainable future and increased options for people to work, live and play in our community. A $15 billion investment (in the data center) does that.

“My job now is to hold the developer accountable and do the things we need to do.”

But he still faces the threat of a recall election. Great Lakes Neighbors United, a grassroots group opposed to the data center, is circulating a petition hoping to force the recall election.

The group must file the petitions signed by 25% of the qualified voters who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election — an estimated 1,600 to 1,800 signatures — by 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, to force a recall election.