Click here to read Part 1, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall
Click here to read Part 4, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall, Removal of Facebook Post Supports Ethics Violation
Click here to read Part 5, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall, Mayor Sorenson Attempts to Silence You; Violates First Amendment Rights of Citizens
Over the last six weeks, we have uncovered continuing issues at city hall. In our final edition of this series, we lay out what we have discovered as it pertains to an ongoing pattern of unethical and at times corrupt behavior.
Part 6, Corruption at City Hall:
Mayor Sorenson’s Misguided Focus for You and Sheboygan
Corruption at City Hall
Mayor Sorenson posed for a picture with the group Sisters for Perpetual Indulgence. He was operating in his official capacity as mayor, wearing a nametag that identified him as mayor of Sheboygan. The picture was posted on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page and received 29 comments, many of which were critical of Sheboygan and the mayor. Mayor Sorenson could have removed it within hours, but the post remained on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page for ten days. This post violates the ethics policy in the City of Sheboygan Municipal Code by not exhibiting behavior above reproach.
Some have incorrectly labeled this concern regarding Mayor Sorenson as an attack on the Pride event or the LGBTQ community. The concern is not about either but, rather, Mayor Sorenson’s decision to pose for a picture while operating in his official capacity as mayor with a group that mocks and attacks the Catholic Religion. The mocking of the religion of many Sheboygan residents and City employees is the concern.
Second, Mayor Sorenson’s removal of a citizen complaint from the Common Council agenda is a clear violation of the First Amendment right of a Sheboygan resident. Mayor Sorenson trampled on the right to free speech of a Sheboygan resident!
Chaos at City Hall
Mayor Sorenson manages the day-to-day operations of our City as an afterthought. His focus on the DEI agenda has become an obstacle. Mayor Sorenson and eight of the ten members of the Common Council (not Alders Mitchell and Heidemann) decided to fire the City Administrator, which led to resignations in other key departments. Mayor Sorenson lists himself as the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Sheboygan on his website. With the absence of a City Administrator, Mayor Sorenson is the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for running our City.
A good example is the negotiations between the City of Sheboygan and Aurora to purchase land owned by Aurora next to the Police Department as the site for a new firehouse. The current fire station on North 25th Street is not large enough to house the new models of fire trucks. There are no separate sleeping quarters or bathrooms for female firefighters, and it does not meet the requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act. A study showed that the site next to the Police Department was the ideal location for increased safety for Sheboygan residents.
These negotiations for the City of Sheboygan to purchase the site from Aurora were being managed by City Administrator Todd Wolf and Director of Planning and Development Chad Pelishek. With Wolf’s firing without cause by the eight of ten Common Council members and following resignation of Pelishek, no one at City Hall has the skillset to negotiate this crucial agreement with Aurora.
Aurora has gotten the upper hand on Sheboygan before. Due to ineffective leadership in the Sheboygan Area School District, the new hospital was stripped from the City of Sheboygan and built on Kohler land. This cost the City property tax revenue going forward and a free multi-million-dollar youth athletic facility for the children of Sheboygan. What is Mayor Sorenson doing to protect your tax dollars while increasing the safety of Sheboygan with a new firehouse that meets the needs of all City employees?
Fear at City Hall
Reports from City employees paint a grim picture of the employee experience under Mayor Sorenson. It was shared that the Human Resources (HR) office used to have staff that would help City employees deal with important and personal issues. There is no remaining staff in the HR office to assist City employees. If an employee needs to process an FMLA request, the city has outsourced that to a private company due to staffing issues in the HR office. It was stated, “Rather than talking to my employer for personal issues that require FMLA leaves, I must talk to somebody I have never met at some company I know nothing about.”
City employees also expressed that during their training from HR Director Adam Westbrook, they were instructed that they cannot jokingly make fun of themselves because another individual could hear that and take offense to the comment, which could then lead to a harassment complaint. An employee stated “We are instructed that we cannot joke about ourselves due to harassment complaints, but the mayor can pose for pictures making jokes about my religion.” The added stress of poor management, no planning, fear of termination, and a skillset that is lacking has all led to a toxic environment for our City’s employees.
Speaking to this point, several City employees have also reached out informing Take Back Sheboygan County that they will not voice employment concerns due to fear of being terminated without cause like the previous City Administrator. An employee stated, “If you have ten years in, there is too much to lose by sharing your concerns with how they treated Todd Wolf and others.”
If City employees are looking for a voice, please reach out to Take Back Sheboygan County to share your concerns. As always, your confidentiality will be closely guarded unless we are specifically informed otherwise.
Contact via email: takebacksheboygancounty@gmail.com
Costly Mistakes at City Hall
It was also brought forward that the development of the industrial parks has slowed under Mayor Sorenson’s watch. There have been no announcements regarding businesses looking to build locations in the industrial parks. The City of Sheboygan incurred tremendous costs to build the infrastructure like roads and sewers for the industrial parks. Payment of those costs is due in the coming years, and if there is not revenue generated by development, the City will have to borrow money or pull money from the general fund to make those payments.
These are real issues that will impact you as a resident and taxpayer in Sheboygan!
The City is facing expensive litigations and just had to transfer $50,000 from the general fund to the Human Resources budget due to increased litigation expenses that were not budgeted for in the current budget. Mayor Sorenson’s reckless behavior along with eight of the ten members of the Common Council caused this increased spending of your tax dollars!
A recent 5-year Strategic Plan cost $140,000 due to the use of a consulting firm but was then voted down. The Strategic Plan included a heavy focus on DEI plans and integration while neglecting significant planning for essential services like the Police and Fire Departments. Due to public outcries, the Common Council had no choice but to reject the plan. That was $140,000 of your tax money thrown away by Mayor Sorenson and eight of the ten members of the Common Council!
Just those two examples show $190,000 of your tax dollars that Mayor Sorenson has mismanaged!
Most residents just received new assessment information on their properties. The city states that property taxes will not increase due to the new assessments. With this mismanagement of the daily operations of the city, it is just a matter of time before the taxpayers take on the financial burden.
The concern is not about the Pride Event or the LGBTQ community. The concern is about Mayor Sorenson posing for a picture making fun of the Catholic faith and trampling on the First Amendment rights of a citizen who voiced a concern. Mayor Sorenson and eight of the ten members of the Common Council are so focused on DEI that they are neglecting the day-to-day operations of the City that will cost you in the quality of service you receive and money spent as a taxpayer!
You must act now to voice your concerns regarding the mismanagement by Mayor Sorenson and eight of ten members of the Common Council. (Alders Mitchell and Heidemann are NOT part of these concerns!)
Call To Action: Send emails to the following:
- ryan.sorenson@sheboyganwi.gov – Mayor
- 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
You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!
- Subscribe to our newsletter: TakeBackSheboyganCounty.com
- Follow us on Twitter: TBSheboyganCo
- Follow us on Instagram: TBSheboyganCo
- Join our private Facebook Group: Take Back Our Schools
Take Back Sheboygan County 
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