The Shepherd is endorsing Johnny Thomas for City of Milwaukee comptroller. Johnny Thomas has shown that he has the professional qualifications and personal character traits to be a good steward of the city’s finances.
With his 20 years of experience in accounting, finance and compliance, Thomas has the professional credentials we need in a comptroller. Thomas earned an MBA, served in the U.S. Army and was the chair of the finance committee when he was a Milwaukee County supervisor. He currently works as a budget analyst for Milwaukee Public Schools and teaches accounting and finance at Cardinal Stritch and Concordia University.
Thomas would like to refocus the comptroller’s office so that it’s more forward thinking and accessible to the public. We think this kind of openness is a good thing and believe that Thomas could find the support to do it.
But there are other reasons why you should vote for Thomas on April 5.
As you may recall, in 2012 Thomas, then a Milwaukee County supervisor, was the victim of a grave injustice when an aide to Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele wore a wire and tried to entrap Thomas into taking a campaign bribe. Despite the very thin evidence against him, Thomas was charged with two crimes, but a jury found him not guilty in just an hour of deliberations and totally exonerated him of any wrongdoing.
Throughout his ordeal, Thomas showed a lot of strength and dignity and has since rebuilt his good reputation, which he never should have lost.
Thomas was running for city comptroller at the time of his legal troubles and he was forced to drop out of the race back then, ceding the race to the only candidate left on the ballot, Martin Matson, who is the current comptroller. After regaining his footing professionally, Thomas decided to run for comptroller in this cycle.
We support Johnny Thomas in his bid to become City of Milwaukee comptroller and encourage Shepherd readers to cast a ballot for him on April 5.
