KENOSHA, Wis. — Mayor David Bogdala has pushed through a lease agreement between the City of Kenosha and Carthage College that critics are already calling a sweetheart deal. The agreement gives Carthage, a private liberal arts college, exclusive use of public land at Alford Park beach for athletic fields.
The contract, signed this month, was negotiated with Carthage President John Swallow, a left-wing academic who has led the college for several years. Bogdala, a Republican, has recently taken a keen interest in Carthage — a shift that seemingly coincides with his son’s enrollment at the school.
Scholarships Tied to Lease
As “consideration” for the lease, Carthage will provide two full-tuition undergraduate scholarships to Kenosha residents each year. The scholarships cover tuition only — not room, board, books, or fees. After 20 years, Carthage is obligated to add just one more scholarship, with a maximum of five total scholarships over the lifetime of the deal. The scholarships are restricted to those who qualify for need-based federal aid, which sharply limits who can apply.
Bogdala told Kenosha County Eye that his son could not take advantage of one of these scholarships, saying it would be a conflict of interest.
If Carthage fails to distribute the scholarships, the city has the right to terminate the lease. But the language leaves enforcement entirely on the city, meaning it would be up to Bogdala’s administration to hold the college accountable.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Public Land, Private Benefit
The lease hands over control of a section of Kenosha’s public shoreline to Carthage for sports fields. The contract gives the college exclusive use of the land for athletic purposes, while the city bears legal and financial risk if anything goes wrong during construction or use. Carthage is required to indemnify the city against some claims, but the fine print makes clear that Kenosha taxpayers could be left on the hook in several scenarios.
Among the negatives:
- The deal runs for five years but automatically renews in perpetuity unless Carthage opts out.
- Carthage may continue expanding its control of the site with additional improvements, subject only to city approval.
- If the school defaults, the city’s recourse is limited, and litigation could drag on for years.
- Kenosha residents gain little public access in exchange, as Carthage has exclusive use of the property.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Mayor’s Newfound Interest
Bogdala’s sudden focus on Carthage has raised eyebrows. Before his son’s enrollment, Carthage rarely factored into the mayor’s agenda. Now, however, Bogdala has personally championed this lease and has repeatedly highlighted the school’s role in the community.
The optics are troubling. A Republican mayor with a son attending the school is negotiating directly with a far-left college president to grant exclusive use of public land, with minimal public benefit beyond two limited scholarships.
Carthage gets a valuable piece of lakefront real estate to expand its athletic footprint. Kenosha residents get scholarships available only to a narrow group of applicants — and the potential liability that comes with turning over city-owned property.
For many, it looks like another example of city leaders favoring institutions with personal ties over the broader public interest.
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26 Responses
So as a city of Kenosha resident, I could be liable for some drunk Illinois idiot student at Carthage getting injured doing something stupid, as all college students do?
No f’ing way should that be a condition of this “deal”. Carthage should be 100% responsible for anything that might(WILL) happen on that land.
Liberal school for liberal players and families. Kevin please never place an (R) after the Mayors name. We’re talking about a Mayor who was hesitant to lower flags at half staff in honor of Kirk for fear of upsetting the liberal majority here in Kenosha. Just another phony lying amateur politician. Trust for him is not obtainable for me.
Maybe make it RH( for RHINO), not just R
Ooops! RINO🤣so I guess that wouldn’t work🙁🤦♀️
You know ‘liberal arts’ doesn’t mean politically liberal, right?
Was this some city council committee ?
If so which one ?
Was it just the Lawyers ?
Did this come before the council for vote and approval ? If so when ?
Was there public input ?
Just like the land swap in Salem, there was little if any public input until it was virtually a done deal and put before the planning commission and even at that it wasn’t their decision.
Bogdala is just another RINO. So sorry I ever voted for him. It will never happen again.
Wonder what he’s getting out of it…
That’s the question I raised below.
It may be that all of this is up and up but there are unanswered questions.
Disclosure: I am a Carthage graduate and native Kenoshan. I’m also not a fan of Carthage’s current and recent administrations and stopped donating.
But……….
Carthage is and has been a plus for Kenosha. I’ve often said that it contributes more to the community than Parkside which has often distanced itself from Kenosha and is much further to the left, I think, than Carthage. (Spoiler alert: Carthage is a liberal arts college.). Carthage turns a lot of money around in the community through employment and money spent by staff, students and families plus local purchases. It would be ridiculous not to say that Carthage is a major asset to Kenosha.
But………..
The devil is in the details. It’s good that the mayor’s family won’t be seeking one of the Kenosha resident scholarships for needy students. But under the table is his family getting preferential treatment not extended to other Kenosha families? We don’t know that. Also, who decides who gets the Kenosha resident scholarships? Probably Carthage but perhaps a more public process such as having a community-based selection committee.
I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon to cry “foul” but I do think there are questions to be asked and answered. Regardless, Carthage remains a major asset to Kenosha. I only wish Parkside would have been more engaged over the years.
Same here.
Additionally, the beach there is terrible and closeted homos use the area to spread disease. The only other people interested in that stretch are idiotic neopagans and other followers of ridiculous made up religions.
They’ll probably have to do something to stop the erosion since the water line is about 70′ closer to Sheridan than it was 20 years ago.
I also say this is much ado about nothing as someone who hates Swallow and thinks carthage has been going down hill academically for a long while. (Less liberal arts, more liberal indoctrination)
Carthage also gives one scholarship away a year to the city employees kids.
Maybe Carthage can give one of these scholarships to city administrator John Morrissey. This way he could actually earn a real college degree. He would no longer have to claim that his fake one is real.
John the fake degree Morrissey… And then you become city administrator make $227,000 a year and a higher your daughter-in-law and your family members in the city. Nice
Bagdala does nothing about it.
Not bad for someone who only has a high school diploma.
https://kenoshacountyeye.com/2022/06/30/retired-fbi-special-agent-questions-kenosha-city-administrators-college-degree/
In any other city, the city administrator with a fake college degree would be fired
The city should under no circumstance be liable for anything involving that property whatsoever. Not $1.00 for improvement , infrastructure or liability.
As far as Carthage using it, I’ve lived in Kenosha my whole life and never walked that stretch of shore.
The only thing that are was used for was when the gay men used it as a place to meet (“knob hill”).
So Carthage can use it, but they should. Bear 100 percent of any liability for it.
I knew Sgt Hard was somehow involved with this
I hope the city council was able to vote on this agreement. Conflict of interest, the Mayor should have put someone else in place to negotiation the deal since his son is a student athlete there. Sounds like Carthage got the better deal.
Can the Carthage Class of ’79 tell everyone how Carthage is engaged with the community. Under different presidents there was a Friday family fun night, they have a few expensive poorly attended summer camps, but no discounts for Kenosha residents. Please share the community engaged under President Swallow term??? Getting into the Football games free doesn’t count, they stink!!!
You forget the daughter of the mayor has a job in administration at the hospital that is St Catherine’s hospital. My cousin works there tells me that she does absolutely nothing they just gave her a job. Because the mayor used to be critical of them and now he’s quieted down. Probably making $75,000 a year. She’s in hospital administration. I’ve also seen her at Starbucks near the hospital there during the day. Nice gig if you can get it.
Waste of money
Why can’t we have decent leadership in kenosha? This is enough already.
If my memory serves me correct, after effectively giving “Corrupt College” “knob hill” (the $1 lease) when John Antaramian was mayor, JA received a job at CC. (Keith Bosman now elected mayor.) When Bosman retired from office, JA was elected mayor again.
Now Bogdala is part of giving CC more city property. NOTE: There are Common Council members and relatives who have/are employed by CC.
Does not this raise eyebrows?
Follow the money…
If I am wrong about any of this, please correct me.
I can’t stand Dave Bogdala, I hope that the Brewers meet the Cubs and smash them in the play offs.