Dukes Landscaping Owner, Bay Football Coach Loses County Job

Jim Tietjen, the owner of Dukes Landscaping and the coach of Whitefish Bay High School's football team, was fired from his job with Milwaukee County on Friday on reports of him doing private landscaping work on county time, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Tietjen, who has been Bay's football coach since 2002, told the Journal Sentinel the allegations are unfounded. Tietjen has worked for the county for 32 years, most recently as associate director of operations for the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the paper.

Dukes Landscaping, which was , was also found performing work for two county vendors, according to a memo obtained by the Journal. Tietjen told the Journal that his private landscaping work was not a payback for a county contract.

County administrators said Tietjen admitted to doing work on county time, and also stated he ordered a subordinate to solicit money from county vendors for "Operation Freedom," an annual veterans picnic hosted by Gov. Scott Walker while he was county executive, according to the paper.

Tim Russell, one of Walker's longtime aides, listed Tietjen as the secretary/treasurer of the Heritage Guard Preservation, which was allegedly created by Russell to funnel more than $20,000 to himself for his own personal use. Tietjen said he was unaware his name was used to set up the organization, according to the Journal Sentinel.

Russell has been a central figure in the John Doe investigation into improprieties in the Milwaukee County Executive's office while Walker was there.