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Francis Thomas Ament (November 17, 1937 - March 10, 2014) was the fourth
Milwaukee County Executive The Milwaukee County Executive serves as the chief executive officer of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Vested with veto power and appointing authority over department heads, the county executive oversees the administrative functions of county gove ...
, serving from 1992 until his resignation in 2002 amid a county pension scandal. Ament had served as chairman of the
Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors is the legislative branch of the government of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Supervisors are elected to the board in nonpartisan elections. There are 18 supervisors. The county board has sev ...
from 1976 to 1992.


Life

He graduated from Marquette University High School in 1955, earned his bachelor's degree from
Marquette University Marquette University () is a private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Martin Henni, the first Bishop of the diocese of ...
in 1959 and his law degree from the
Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School is the professional graduate law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Milwaukee Law ...
in 1962. He was elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. He was selected as board chairman in 1976, and stayed on the board until he defeated
Joseph Czarnezki Joseph J. Czarnezki (born September 27, 1954) is an American politician and public administrator from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, appointed by Governor Tony Evers in 2023. He previously served ten ...
to become county executive in 1992, replacing one-term legislator Dave Schultz. After a scandal over pensions for county employees, an effort was mounted by conservative special interest group Citizens for Responsible Government in early 2002 to recall Ament. The group collected over 100,000 petition signatures to force a
recall election A recall election (also called a recall referendum, recall petition or representative recall) is a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum before that official's term of of ...
. On February 21, 2002, Ament announced his retirement effective February 26 at a Milwaukee County Board meeting. By retiring instead of resigning, Ament remained eligible to claim his own pension. He was replaced by former
Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...
Justice
Janine Geske Janine P. Geske (born May 12, 1949) is an American jurist and law professor who served as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1993 to 1998 and as interim Milwaukee County Executive in 2002.
on an interim basis and by state Representative Scott Walker, a Republican, following a special election.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ament, Tom 1937 births 2014 deaths County supervisors in Wisconsin Marquette University alumni Marquette University Law School alumni Milwaukee County Executives Politicians from Milwaukee Wisconsin Democrats