Part 2, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall: Mayor Sorenson Leads Attack on Your Community and Your Values

June 30th, 2023

Click here to read Part 1, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall

Part 2 of this series will shed light on two crucial developments in city politics:

The aftermath of the October 2022 decision by the Common Council to transfer the public relations responsibilities from Administrator Wolf to Mayor Ryan Sorenson.
The repercussions of the Common Council’s decision on January 9, 2023, to terminate Wolf’s employment “without cause,” allowing Mayor Sorenson to oversee the search for a new HR Director, a position that remained vacant for over a year.

Wolf’s refusal to allocate $70K for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) training, including adherence to preferred pronouns, has become a central focus at City Hall. Mayor Sorenson’s performance in public relations and overall leadership over the past six months illustrates a focus on DEIB initiatives while neglecting the other responsibilities that impact your daily life.

Consider the following key points:

The Common Council voted 8-2 to dismiss City Administrator Todd Wolf “without cause” in January, with Aldermen Heidemann and Mitchell voting against the decision.
Mayor Sorenson’s recommended candidate for HR Director, Adam Westbrook, received Common Council approval shortly after Wolf’s termination. Westbrook is an active DEIB supporter.
The City of Sheboygan’s Strategic Plan, which identifies the city’s “old style culture” as a weakness and “lack of community support” as a threat, fails to address essential city needs such as police and fire protection, infrastructure, and sanitation. The plan, which cost taxpayers $140K, was rejected by the Common Council after public input in Spring.
Director of Planning & Development Chad Pelishek resigned in May, following false allegations made by another City Director of using a racial slur.
Manager of Planning & Zoning Steve Sokolowski also resigned in May.
Mayor Sorenson proclaimed June as “Pride Month” for Sheboygan and raised a “Pride” flag at City Hall alongside the American and Wisconsin flags.
In a meeting with Republican Party Chair Russ Otten in mid-June, Mayor Sorenson claimed sole authority over proclamations and flag displays, denying a request to fly the “Respect Life” flag in October.
Mayor Sorenson made an appearance at “PrideFest” on June 24. The group photo was subsequently posted on the Visit Sheboygan website.

While City Hall is focused on pushing a DEIB agenda, there is nobody in the City Planning & Development office to make decisions on major projects that impact your life. The day-to-day operations of the city are an afterthought to the mayor. The focus of DEIB seems to be heavily favoring LGBTQ rights and neglecting other populations of people that have faced challenges. On Juneteenth Day, the Pride flag flew over City Hall with the United States flag and the State of Wisconsin flag. There was no flag flying to celebrate the emancipation of slaves. Why did the mayor not proclaim support for Black Americans on this special day by flying a Juneteenth flag?

PrideFest is branded as a celebration of love and acceptance. The photo below of Mayor Sorenson attending the Pride celebration was posted on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page.

The mayor is posing with a person that is dressed as a Catholic nun at a Pride event. The Catholic Church has spoken on the issue of homosexuality. This is a mockery and a slap in the face of a religious institution. A Google search says there are 1.3 billion Catholics in the world. If the goal is love and acceptance, how is mocking a faith of 1.3 billion people a display of love and acceptance?

This picture also seems to identify a “furry” with the mayor. A “furry” is a person who identifies as an animal. The person is wearing a tail, has whiskers painted on their face, and is wearing a nun hat. Does the mayor of Sheboygan support and advocate for people who identify as animals? Is this what DEIB looks like under Mayor Sorenson? Does the overall population of Sheboygan support and advocate for people who identify as animals? Does the Sheboygan LGBTQ community support and advocate for people who identify as animals?

These events of the past six months have left Sheboygan, including families, businesses, and senior citizens, with infrastructure gaps and a public image that does not align with the values held by the overwhelming majority of the community.

Key management positions remain unfilled, vital projects are on hold, and Sheboygan’s leadership has prioritized the values of a small minority over those embraced and respected by a significant majority.

Clearly, the ramifications of the questionable decisions to dismiss Wolf without cause and to falsely accuse Pelishek of using a racial slur are far-reaching and impact everyone.

It’s time to stop this assault on YOUR community and YOUR values!

If you are concerned about the current direction and leadership under Mayor Sorenson, please take five minutes and express your views via email to your alders. Let them know that the corruption and DEIB agenda have no place at City Hall.