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

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

The following photo was posted on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page on June 24, 2023 from the recent Pride event in Sheboygan. Mayor Sorenson is pictured below with members of the Abbey of the Brew City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. According to their website, they want to bring comfort to the disturbed and disturb the comfort of others. On the Brew City Sisters website, it lists a retired member as Guard Rex Uranus. Here is the link to the site: https://www.brewcitysisters.org/portfolio

This post on Visit Sheboygan’s Facebook page generated 29 comments. The comments were debating support or disdain for the post. One woman from Illinois posted, “Really? Do we really need to feel proud of how people have sex? I love going to Sheboygan to escape the nonsense of the bigger cities. Disappointed.” This was followed by comments that stated “don’t like it, don’t go!!!!!!” This woman was then told to stay in Illinois by another commenter.

Though this type of debate is part of our democracy, it should not be on the site of the organization that is charged with increasing tourism to Sheboygan. A comment on the Visit Sheboygan page telling a woman from Illinois to stay in Illinois is not conducive to increasing tourism to Sheboygan, and our economy depends on tourism in the summertime.

The mayor’s choice to pose for a photo opportunity with people mocking the Catholic Church is a violation of ethics and does not act in the best interest of Sheboygan. The policy of the City of Sheboygan states the following:

Sec 2-246 Responsibility Of Public Officials And Employees

1. Public officials and employees are agents of public purpose and hold office for the benefit of the public. They are bound to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state and carry out impartially the laws of the nation, state and city and, thus, to foster respect of all government. They are bound to observe in their official acts the highest standards of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office regardless of personal considerations, recognizing that the public interest must be their primary concern. Their conduct in both their official and private affairs should be above reproach so as to foster respect for all government.

Link:
https://sheboygan.municipalcodeonline.com/book?type=ordinances#name=CHAPTER_2_ADMI
NISTRATION

Violation of Policy

The policy states the following: “They are bound to observe in their official acts the highest standards of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office regardless of personal considerations, recognizing that the public interest must be their primary concern.”

Mayor Sorenson choosing to pose for this photo opportunity and having it posted on Visit Sheboygan’s Facebook page is a violation of policy. It violates the policy in the following ways:

• This picture violates the highest standards of morality in that it disrespects the Catholic faith. The mayor does not need to support a religion, but the mayor should not act in a way that mocks any religion.
• The mayor could have chosen to take a photo with any person or people celebrating their rights at the Pride Event that was not mocking a religion.
• Reports indicate that the majority of participants at the Pride event were not dressed in a way that directly attacks a religion.
• Out of all the photo opportunities at the event, Mayor Sorenson chose this one, and Visit Sheboygan posted it on social media.
• For these reasons, this rises to the definition of bad behavior.

The policy states that the “public interest must be their primary concern”.

Your interest is the public interest! If the Mayor’s choice reflects his personal considerations more than your interests as a member of the public, you must act now!

The following is stated in the policy:

• “Their conduct in both their official and private affairs should be above reproach so as to foster respect for all government.”

According to Webster-Merriam, “above reproach” is an idiom defined as not calling for any criticism. The 29 comments on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page are filled with criticism. Mayor Sorenson invited this criticism that rises to the standard of violating the City of Sheboygan’s ethics policy.

Mayor Sorenson has caused harm to the City of Sheboygan. The negative comments on Visit Sheboygan’s Facebook page do not invite tourism. That is evident by the woman from Illinois’ comment. Then having someone comment telling this woman to stay in Illinois is not conducive to increasing tourism in Sheboygan.

Sheboygan relies on tourism money during the summer months. At a time when Sheboygan should be a destination for people to enjoy the many positives Sheboygan has to offer, this is the reality that Mayor Sorenson has created. Mayor Sorenson’s actions do not foster respect for government as stated in the policy and they do not foster respect for the City of Sheboygan!

The corruption at City Hall has to stop! The constant commitment to DEIB while neglecting the day-to-day operations of Sheboygan will impact YOU!

If Mayor Sorenson’s decision to pose for this photo does NOT reflect your interest, you have a right to file an ethics complaint!

To file an ethics complaint, email the following message to your alderperson:

As a concerned citizen of the City of Sheboygan, I demand the convening of the Ethics Committee to investigate Mayor Sorenson’s violation of the city’s ethics policy. Section 2-246 Responsibility of Public Officials and Employees states:

• Public officials and employees are agents of public purpose and hold office for the benefit of the public. They are bound to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state and carry out impartially the laws of the nation, state and city and, thus, to foster respect of all government. They are bound to observe in their official acts the highest standards of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office regardless of personal considerations, recognizing that the public interest must be their primary concern. Their conduct in both their official and private affairs should be above reproach so as to foster respect for all government.

Mayor Sorenson’s actions on June 24, 2023, at the Pride event violated this policy when he posed for a picture with members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The members were dressed in outfits mocking nuns and the Catholic religion.

Mayor Sorenson’s actions violated the policy by his failure to act in the highest standards of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of office regardless of personal considerations, recognizing that the public interest must be his primary concern. Choosing to pose with a group mocking the Catholic religion does not reflect my interest as a member of the public and may reflect Mayor Sorenson’s personal considerations more than public interest.

Furthermore, Mayor Sorenson’s behavior violated the policy by not remaining above reproach. Mayor Sorenson’s decision to pose with a group mocking a religion will bring criticism. It is not expected that Mayor Sorenson shares his religious views, but his actions cannot mock the religion of thousands of residents of Sheboygan. This behavior invites criticism which was evident in the 29 comments on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page.

Due to the actions of Mayor Sorenson, I respectfully request the Ethics Committee convene to investigate the actions of Mayor Sorenson on June 24, 2023, at the Pride event.

Send emails to the following:

barbara.felde@sheboyganwi.gov – District 1
roberta.filicky-peneski@sheboyganwi.gov – District 2
amanda.salazar@sheboyganwi.gov – District 3
betty.ackley@sheboyganwi.gov – District 4
Angela.Ramey@sheboyganwi.gov – District 5
dean.dekker@sheboyganwi.gov – District 6
grazia.perrella@sheboyganwi.gov – District 7
zach.rust@sheboyganwi.gov – District 8
trey.mitchell@sheboyganwi.gov – District 9
joe.heidemann@sheboyganwi.gov – District 10

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