Soler hired as research analyst for Milwaukee County Board (UPDATE)

By Beth Kevit

Nelson Soler popped up Monday as a Milwaukee County research analyst after losing his job Friday as the county’s business development director.

Soler is now working for the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. He was director of the Office of Community Business Development Partners, which is under the authority of County Executive Chris Abele. Soler’s primary responsibility was working with disadvantaged business enterprises.

Board Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic said she offered Soler the analyst job. She said Abele’s office never gave a reason for why Soler lost his job.

“It was what I call a ‘Friday firing,’” she said, referring to what she characterized as county employees Abele has replaced without warning or explanation.

Supervisor Steve Taylor said those county employees include Sue Black, former director of the Parks Department; Frank Busalacchi, former director of the Department of Transportation; and Jim Burton, former manager of the Department of Administrative Services’ Division of Facilities Management.

Abele said he has considered replacing Soler since the board voted in May to move Community Business Development Partners back under the executive branch.

“I’m now responsible for my office,” Abele said, “and I’m going to run it as professionally as I can.”

Abele refused to name a specific reason for replacing Soler. However, Abele said, he was uncomfortable with Soler’s involvement with Multicultural Entrepreneurial Institute Inc., a Milwaukee marketing and training firm for which Soler is chief solutions officer.

Board spokesman Bill Zaferos said Monday that Soler would not comment on his new position or why he lost his job Friday.

And, Abele said, he was troubled by community backlash to Soler’s proposal to redefine a small business enterprise as one earning less than $4 million per year over three years, roughly one-fifth of the previous definition. The change, Soler had said, was necessary to start a new small business program for the county.

A Friday morning email attributed to Don Tyler, director of the county’s Department of Administrative Services, named Ruben Anthony Jr. as Soler’s successor, but does not explain why Soler lost his job.

Anthony is the former senior vice president of Milwaukee-based Bloom Co. Inc., an engineering and architectural company, and former deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, according to his résumé.

Dimitrijevic said Soler will fill a vacant position and will help during budget preparation. She said the lack of information about Soler’s firing did not suggest to her that hiring him could cause problems.

“Not knowing the reason,” she said, “I guess I couldn’t speculate on that.”

Taylor said he believes Soler will be a good fit with the board. He will focus on economic development items that come before the board, Taylor said, so there will be overlap from his previous position.

But, Taylor said, he questions the timing of the hiring. He said he expects the board’s research analysts, of whom Soler is the fourth, will shift to the Office of the Comptroller on Jan. 1. That office will be able to create four research positions but is not required to retain the board’s appointments.

Under the state Legislature’s Act 14, the board’s budget in 2014 will be capped at 0.4 percent of the county’s property tax levy, which could mean the board will have to lay off staff members, Taylor said.

“This is probably not the best time,” he said, “to be adding bodies.”