If you are concerned about the attacks on your right to free speech and the attacks on your values you need to attend the Common Council meeting on July 17, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.
Mayor Sorenson attacked your values by posing for a picture at the Pride Event with members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The post brought criticism to Visit Sheboygan and had to be removed from Visit Sheboygan’s Facebook page.
Defend Your 1st Amendment Rights
Two citizens voiced their concerns to Alder Heidemann and he went to City Hall to have their concerns placed on the agenda for Monday’s Common Council meeting. Within minutes, Alder Heidemann received a call from Assistant City Attorney Liz Majerus informing him that Mayor Sorenson removed the citizens’ concerns from the agenda.
Mayor Sorenson removed this from the agenda to silence you!
Public comments are not allowed on a topic if the topic is not on the agenda.
Sheboygan is on a dangerous path if the city government is allowed to do anything they want and citizens must ask permission to voice concerns. Only to have those concerns denied by Mayor Sorenson!
If you do not attend the Common Council meeting, you will empower Mayor Sorenson and his followers to continue these attacks on your values and your right to free speech.
Call to Action: Attend the Common Council meeting on Monday, July 17, at 6:00 p.m.
Special Note: When you show up on Monday, please bring your own hand-made signs and hold them high. Be respectful! Let the Common Council do its business. Your presence alone will show them your disapproval of the Mayor’s actions!
This is Part 5 in a multi-part series on “Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall” and the roles that Mayor Sorenson and 8 members of the Common Council are playing. In Part 4 we illuminated the decision to remove offensive material from the Visit Sheboygan website to mitigate the damage done by Mayor Sorenson. This fast-emerging story had more developments this week. We hope that Part 5 inspires you to action.
Call to Action On Monday, July 17, at 6:00 p.m., make every effort to attend the Common Council meeting at City Hall and to represent your concerns about Mayor Sorenson’s attack on your values and your community.
If you do not attend this meeting, you will empower Mayor Sorenson to continue moving Sheboygan in this direction! Be a part of the majority and take control in shaping a brighter future for the City of Sheboygan!
Special Note: When you show up on Monday, please bring your own hand-made signs and hold them high. Be respectful! Let the Common Council do its business. Your presence alone will show them your disapproval of the Mayor’s actions!
Mayor Sorenson Attacks Your Values and Your City!!!!
On June 24, 2023, Visit Sheboygan posted this picture on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page. Mayor Sorenson is acting in his official capacity as mayor. He is wearing a City of Sheboygan hat and a nametag that identifies him as Mayor of Sheboygan.
At a Pride event, Mayor Sorenson is posing with members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. They are clearly mocking and attacking the Catholic religion! This group is not about love and acceptance, which is the stated purpose of DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging). A member of this group has the highly sexualized name of Rex Uranus!
Actual DEIB work is a noble cause. Unfortunately, Mayor Sorenson’s DEIB work is not rooted in love and acceptance. Mayor Sorenson’s version of DEIB work is highly sexualized and attacks the faith of many Sheboygan residents and City of Sheboygan employees.
If your values and/or faith were attacked by Mayor Sorenson, you must attend this Common Council meeting on July 17 to show your concern!
Mayor Sorenson Silences Citizen Concern
On Thursday, July 13, Alder Joe Heidemann went to City Hall to place the concern of several citizens on the agenda. When he presented the concern to the clerk’s office, they immediately called Assistant City Attorney Liz Majerus. Ms. Majerus came and asked Alder Heidemann what he wanted to do with this document. Alder Heidemann stated that he received letters from two citizens with the same concern and wanted the Common Council to address the concern. He was informed that the concern would be on the consent agenda for Monday’s Common Council meeting. On Alder Heidemann’s ride home, he received a call from Ms. Majerus stating that the concern was placed on the agenda and sent to Mayor Sorenson’s office. However, Mayor Sorenson removed the concern from the Common Council agenda.
Mayor Sorenson is silencing you and your values! Mayor Sorenson has attacked the first amendment rights of the people of Sheboygan!
Mayor Sorenson’s removal of this agenda item prevents any citizens from commenting on his ethics violation at the Common Council meeting on Monday, July 17.
Your voice has been (temporarily) silenced by Mayor Sorenson, but Mayor Sorenson cannot silence your actions!
Call to Action
Attend the Common Council meeting on Monday, July 17, at 6:00 p.m. to show your disapproval of Mayor Sorenson’s actions!
Don’t empower Mayor Sorenson and his allies to continue their attack on your morals and your First Amendment rights!
Sheboygan is a community with strong morals and a culture based on traditional values. Mayor Sorenson identified this as a “threat” in his Strategic Plan for Sheboygan. This is a deliberate attack on your morals! Act now to protect your values!
See you Monday at City Hall at 6:00 p.m.! The majority may be silenced from speaking, but your presence will be loud!
You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!
Part 3 of this multi-part series documented a recent situation in which Mayor Ryan Sorenson violated the City Ethics Policy. Part 4 provides an update on the coverup of that violation. (Several paragraphs of Part 3 are included for context.)
Part 4: Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall: Removal of Facebook Post Supports Ethics Violation
The following photo was posted on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page on June 24, 2023 from the 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
If Mayor Sorenson’s DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging) commitment is not about sexualization, but about love and acceptance, how does a member of a group he poses with go by the name Rex Uranus? That name is heavily sexualized and illustrates that this group views this as humorous!
It seems that Mayor Sorenson and his supporters’ version of DEIB stands for DIVISION, EXCLUSION, INDOCTRINATION, and BLASPHEMY!
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.
This post was removed from the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page on July 5, 2023.
Mayor Sorenson was clearly operating in his official capacity as mayor in this photo. Mayor Sorenson is wearing a City of Sheboygan hat and a nametag that identifies him as the mayor.
This violates the City of Sheboygan ethics policy in that Mayor Sorenson is not exhibiting behavior that is above reproach. Above reproach means that you are acting in a way that does not bring criticism.
The fact that Visit Sheboygan was driven to remove the June 24 post of Mayor Sorenson clearly shows that Mayor Sorenson’s behavior was not above reproach. The post invited criticism and caused harm to the City of Sheboygan. In an attempt to mitigate the damage that Mayor Sorenson caused to Sheboygan, Visit Sheboygan removed the Facebook post on July 5!
You must act to protect the future of Sheboygan!
Plan to attend the next Common Council meeting on July 17, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Show your concern over Mayor Sorenson’s actions and his direction for the City of Sheboygan! Your attendance will help remove the power from Mayor Sorenson and the DEIB group and return it to the people, the taxpayers!
To speak at this meeting, you must email the Common Council. You can write your own email, or you can send the following message to the Common Council. If you do not act now, you are sending a clear message to Mayor Sorenson that you support this direction for Sheboygan!
Email this 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 was acting in his official capacity as mayor due to him wearing a City of Sheboygan hat and a nametag that states his name and title as mayor.
Mayor Sorenson’s behavior violated the policy by not remaining above reproach. Remaining above reproach is defined as not inviting criticism. The June 24 post on Visit Sheboygan’s Facebook page had to be removed on July 5, 2023, due to the damage that Mayor Sorenson’s actions caused the City of Sheboygan. The removal of this post clearly illustrates that Mayor Sorenson’s actions invited criticism and caused harm to the City of Sheboygan. This violates the policy in that Mayor Sorenson’s behavior was not above reproach.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Take Back Sheboygan County emerged 5 weeks ago with its inaugural 5-part series on the academic failures of the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD). This week, we begin a new series on the corruption at City Hall in Sheboygan.
Part 1: Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall
WHBL recently reported on the exodus of 28 City of Sheboygan employees over the last 6 months. This rapid and extensive loss of experience and expertise is astounding, leaving a leadership vacuum that will affect you and the entire community. Sheboygan competes with Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Appleton for talent and will be hard-pressed to replace key people, especially with the current environment at City Hall.
Both Administration and the Development Department have been decimated by the firing “without cause” of City Administrator Todd Wolf in January and the resignation in May of Director of Planning & Development Chad Pelishek. Add to it the sudden resignation (just 2 weeks later) of Manager of Planning & Zoning Steve Sokolowski and Assistant to the Administrator Carrie Arenz, and one can see the massive hole at City Hall and an emerging exit pattern. (The loss of these four people eliminates over 51 years of experience.)
Though details of how we got here will be laid out in future editions, there are several key events that put the City of Sheboygan in this alarming position:
June, 2020 – Wolf hired as City Administrator by Common Council (Mary Lynne Donohue – Council President; Ryan Sorenson – Council Vice President)
Fall, 2020 – Wolf approached by Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging (DEIB – special interest group) for $70K grant to fund DEIB training and initiatives for City employees
Winter, 2021 – Wolf denies DEIB $70K request after DEIB refuses to present a standard business plan
Spring, 2021 – Wolf uses outside contractor for DEIB training of City employees
July, 2022 – City employee attends neighborhood meeting where unidentified person uses “N” word to describe unwanted neighbors
August, 2022 – Pelishek addresses racial and diversity issues with City managers. Manager of Senior Services demands Pelishek repeat racial slur used, which he does.
October 10, 2022 – Sheboygan Press runs front page story accusing Pelishek of being a racist and Wolf’s response as “raising more concerns”
October 26, 2022 – Sheboygan Press runs front page story saying “People are angry” with Wolf and reports that the Common Council has stripped him of his public relations role with the media and given it to the mayor
November 9, 2022 – Wolf put on administrative leave and the Common Council to begin a “fair and impartial investigation”
January 9, 2023 – Wolf fired “without cause” by 8 of 10 Common Council members (Heidemann and Mitchell only “No” votes)
This corruption at City Hall is already impacting you directly!
The Development Department has 28 current projects that need to be initiated, negotiated, or completed. The loss of Wolf, Pelishek, and Sokolowski leaves no one with the relationships, experience, or expertise to manage these successfully.
The City is negotiating with Aurora to buy the former County Highway Department building. Wolf and Pelishek had the relationship with Aurora. An appraisal was done just before Pelishek left. No one at City Hall has any experience or success to negotiate with Aurora.
The City has two business parks, South Pointe and Sheboygan Business Center, that need to attract and work with developers. Loss of industrial development means the loss of jobs and a decreased tax base.
Poor management can be corrected with a few good hires. But corrupt management has deep roots. As a result, the City’s reputation around the state and region is at an all-time low and will affect the quality of candidates to replace Wolf, Pelishek, and Sokolowski.
The City will lose more key people. Many who work at City Hall fear retribution if they show any support for Wolf or Pelishek. With the mayor in lockstep with 8 Common Council members and the leaders of DEIB, many no longer are willing to share ideas to benefit the City and, instead will remain silent while watching the City move in a direction that will do great damage to its future.
As you can see, the corruption at City Hall affects all of us – families, businesses, senior citizens, schools, and non-profits!
This once great city was named by Reader’s Digest as “The Best Place to Raise a Family” in the United States in 1995! The challenges today are even greater. What can you do to restore Sheboygan to greatness?
You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!
Take Back Sheboygan County 