Sunday afternoon, there was a neighborhood notification through Ring Doorbell. A resident on Henry Street had concerns because a man placed something on his door, and shortly after, a woman came and removed the materials from the door.
It was confirmed that the man was Jesse Roethel, a candidate for the District 8 Alder position. He was putting out campaign materials in advance of the primary on Tuesday.
His campaign materials were seen being removed by a woman from the door. The woman took the materials and put them in her clipboard. On the top of the clipboard were campaign materials for Zach Rust.
A Rust supporter was stealing the campaign materials of a political opponent!
Earlier today, it was documented that Rust refused to convene the Committee of the Whole to conduct an ethics investigation into Mayor Sorenson regarding the photo from the Pride Event that was mocking the Catholic religion.
Zach Rust is in a current ethics situation with his supporter stealing election materials. This violates the Sheboygan Municipal Code and State of Wisconsin Law. Is Zach Rust the type of candidate you want to vote for?
Take Back Sheboygan is currently working to confirm the identification of this woman.
Claims have been made that this woman is a long-time Democratic supporter from Sheboygan County. If it is this person, there are extensive ties to the city’s current leadership and the Democratic party going back years.
Zach Rust, you can do the right thing and come out and identify who this woman is. It’s on you.
You’re on the Klock.
TBS will also follow former Sheboygan HR director Adam Westbrook’s court appearance.
The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating a high-profile case involving a Racine Sheriff’s Deputy. TBS received a tip indicating that there is a chance the two cases are related.
There are more people inside City Hall closely tied to Westbrook. Information is coming forward.
Mayor Sorenson, TBS has its Sniffies out and is looking at some things now.
Stay tuned.
Due to the theft committed by the Rust supporter, if you did not receive campaign materials from Jesse Roethel and you live in District Eight, contact us at https://takebacksheboygancounty.com/contact/, and we will put you in touch with his campaign.
Take Back Sheboygan County knows that many former and current City employees have been reluctant to share their stories for fear of retaliation. If you are one of these, we welcome you to contact us. Your name will not be shared without permission. You can contact us at https://takebacksheboygancounty.com/contact/.
You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!
Roberta Filicky-Peneski and Zach Rust will appear on the ballot on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, in the primary elections for Common Council. Both alders showed blind loyalty and support towards former Human Resource Director Adam Westbrook, who is facing four counts each of sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography.
Filicky-Peneski was part of an email exchange last summer concerning a citizen’s issues with Mayor Sorenson at the Pride Event. Mayor Sorenson posed with members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The citizen asked for an ethics investigation into the matter, which Westbrook did not address. The citizen invited Westbrook to their home for a meeting.
Filicky-Peneski, the only alder to respond to the many emails, advised Westbrook to meet at City Hall instead of the citizen’s home to protect Westbrook.
Her hesitation regarding home meetings might come from a prior incident where she was caught sharing information from a closed session meeting, violating her ethical duties. This breach of confidentiality has led to a “lack of trust” by Alder Barb Felde and other council members.
During the same session, Filicky-Peneski used the same racial slur that started the events that eventually led to the termination without cause of former City Administrator Todd Wolf.
Roberta Filicky-Peneski can’t be trusted by her colleagues on the Common Council. How can she be trusted to represent you?
Zach Rust, also running for reelection and currently the Committee of the Whole Chairperson, was involved in the same email thread. He was asked to address the ethics concerns by bringing together the Committee of the Whole. Rust refused to do this, aligning with Westbrook and robbing the council of investigating the complaint.
This inaction followed Mayor Sorenson’s removal of the concern from the meeting agenda and prevented public comment regarding the photo that mocked the Catholic faith. Rust and Mayor Sorenson trampled on your right to free speech.
Rust avoided his duty and responsibilities as Chairperson and chose Westbrook’s and Mayor Sorenson’s interests over yours.
Do you want to vote for an alder who robs citizens of their right to free speech and chooses the interests of the Mayor and Westbrook over yours?
The former City of Sheboygan H.R. Director Adam Westbrook is scheduled for court on Monday, February 19, 2024. There are more people in City Hall with deep ties to Westbrook.
Stay tuned.
Take Back Sheboygan County knows that many former and current City employees have been reluctant to share their stories for fear of retaliation. If you are one of these, we welcome you to contact us. Your name will not be shared without permission. You can contact us at https://takebacksheboygancounty.com/contact/.
You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!
Former Sheboygan H.R. Director Adam Westbrook is in Sauk County jail, facing four counts of possession of child pornography and four counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Take Back Sheboygan detailed the culture of intimidation and fear that Westbrook brought to the City of Sheboygan before his resignation.
“What I did not know was how callous, deliberately untruthful, and unwelcoming a small, but very vocal, part of this community would be. Since starting at the City, I have been subject to an onslaught of false, defamatory, and downright hateful statements and accusations coming from a small group of individuals who seem to relish in conspiracy theories, name-calling, and trying as hard as they can to rid the City of anyone who doesn’t look, think, or act like them.”
There was a report on WHBL that stated Westbrook resigned amidst allegations of inappropriate comments of a sexual nature to a city intern. There was an open records request regarding Westbrook’s conduct, and shortly after that, he resigned. City Attorney Chuck Adams released a press release, and in the words of WHBL, “strongly rebuked claims of inappropriate conduct by Westbrook.”
Adams stated that he was made aware of the comment and spoke to people involved in the conversation, and he was able to determine the conversation was entirely appropriate and above board.
What could have happened had Adams conducted a more thorough investigation? What may have been discovered?
The Appleton Post Crescent had an article yesterday, February 17, 2024, about the allegations made against Westbrook. The article states that Sheboygan Press reporter Alex Garner contributed to the article. The article mentions this site and talks about posts that alleged Westbrook’s actions led to “corruption” at City Hall.
Westbrook denied all the allegations made on this site during an interview with the Sheboygan Press.
Other residents of Sheboygan brought forward concerns with Westbrook other than this site. Some people in this community referred to this as propaganda or people obsessed with conspiracy theories.
Westbrook said, “They are spreading false accusations to City employees and the public at large, trying to undermine all of the good things the City is doing, and tarnish my name and reputation along the way.”
There is more to this story. There are people currently in City Hall who made deliberate choices to align with Adam Westbrook. Those stories may be coming soon.
Take Back Sheboygan County knows that many former and current City employees have been reluctant to share their stories for fear of retaliation. If you are one of these, we welcome you to contact us. Your name will not be shared without permission. You can contact us at https://takebacksheboygancounty.com/contact/.
You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!
There have been claims made that Take Back Sheboygan County is a propaganda machine pushing a fake idea of a DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) agenda that is causing the City of Sheboygan to have a misguided focus on DEIB rather than the day-to-day operations of running a city and providing services to taxpayers.This is not propaganda, and here is the supporting evidence.
In an article published in the Sheboygan Press on August 6, 2019, there is an update on the Common Council banning conversion therapy on minors in a packed meeting. Alder Mary Lynne Donohue is quoted advocating for the ban’s passage, with then-Alder Ryan Sorenson cited as an author of the ordinance.
The article quotes Sorenson from a previous article, stating, “It’s difficult to track if conversion therapy has been practiced in Sheboygan, but the goal of the ordinance is to prevent it from happening.”
The point of this post has nothing to do with whether conversion therapy is good or bad. The point is that Sorenson and Donohue advocated for an ordinance to stop something that they did not know whether or not it existed in Sheboygan. They created a solution for a problem that they could not support existed in Sheboygan.
Mayor Sorenson attempted to generate fundraising money by banning conversion therapy and flying the Pride Flag at City Hall upon election as crowning achievements of his political career. This exemplifies Sorenson’s misguided focus as an elected official in Sheboygan. Where are the crowning achievements that make Sheboygan a better place to live for all taxpayers?
Note: Take Back Sheboygan County has never endorsed, supported, or discussed President Donald Trump. Take Back Sheboygan County is not MAGA, nor is it associated with MAGA.
The city is currently facing two federal lawsuits. One is in relationship to the firing of Todd Wolf as City Administrator without cause. The other suit has been filed by former employee Chad Pelishek for discrimination. Both of these cases are causing significant financial resources from the City of Sheboygan to be used on legal defense in federal court. These cases both resulted from the misplaced focus on DEIB in Sheboygan.
On October 5, 2022, Wolf and Pelishek met for lunch with two community members discussing DEI initiatives in Sheboygan. The lawsuit filed by Wolf alleges that Wolf refused to allocate $70,000 to a DEI consulting agreement.
On October 28, 2022, Mary Lynne Donohue sent the following email to the Common Council as the chair of the Sheboygan Justice Equity group that submitted a Request for Proposal “that aims to research, identify, and strategize on a process to bring a diverse, equitable and inclusive structure to city government.”
You can review the bold request from a chair of a group that works in DEI consulting asking the Common Council to reconsider a Request for Proposal that her group drafted be reconsidered for funding.
The recent resignation of Human Resources Director Adam Westbrook was covered by the Sheboygan Press, which stated that Take Back Sheboygan County has stated the city has a diversity and inclusion “agenda.” Take Back Sheboygan County has received emails that Westbrook would send to all City of Sheboygan employees titled “Diversity Digest.”
One book Westbrook suggests in this email is Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. This book is a story of a teenager working through gender identity challenges and transitioning. It is a Young Adult novel.
As a city employee, would you feel reading a Young Adult novel would benefit you in your role? Some may, but certainly not every city employee would be a better employee due to reading a Young Adult Novel on gender identity.
Westbrook also recommends an R-rated movie called Boys Don’t Cry. Westbrook instructs city employees that this movie is for mature audiences only and contains many devastating and graphic moments. Westbrook also informs every city employee that this is the only movie that has ever made him cry. Does every city employee need to be made aware of a movie that includes intense and devastating moments from a director-level leader at their place of employment?
Westbrook sent all City employees an edition of Diversity Digest titled Celebrate Black History Month. In this email, Westbrook provided books, movies, podcasts, and an album for education. One book Westbrook suggested is How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
This book is widely used in DEI work. The book has received considerable criticism for spreading Marxist ideology. In reading this book, Kendi states that capitalism and racism are conjoined twins. This line has drawn heavy criticism due to the harsh criticism of capitalism in America.
In addition to this, there was the failed strategic plan that the City of Sheboygan hired a consultant to draft and, after public backlash, had to be scrapped due to being entirely focused on DEIB and neglecting any strategic plan for departments like the Fire and Police Departments. This cost $140,000 to taxpayers due to a misguided focus by Mayor Sorenson and some of the Common Council.
The Sheboygan Press quoted Westbrook as saying he had never experienced local groups pushing the city “not to change, not to grow, not to become a more diverse, inclusive place.”
Take Back Sheboygan County is not opposed to growth, change, or becoming more diverse and inclusive. Take Back Sheboygan County opposes growth and change irrelevant to making Sheboygan better for all taxpayers. There is opposition to our City’s government driving change with NO strategic plan, NO appropriate allocation of resources, and NO involvement of stakeholders while being done without transparency and without open communication. That kind of change will not be supported!
While the focus on DEI is alive and well, the SouthPointe Enterprise Campus shows no progress in a recent update from the Sheboygan Press. On August 28, the City Attorney informed the Common Council that an offer to purchase fell through and said canceling this agreement would open up the opportunity for other buyers. Later in the article, it states that the majority of lots are still available. If the majority of lots are still available, how was losing the other development a benefit in that other buyers could be interested?
There was no evidence of any progress in filling the SouthPointe Enterprise Campus in the latest update from the Sheboygan Press.
The calls on social media that Take Back Sheboygan County is a propaganda site that is pushing lies and false narratives are untrue. Everything cited in this post is real. It has happened in Sheboygan. The DEI agenda is present.
This agenda is causing the City of Sheboygan to not focus on real issues that impact taxpayers. The day-to-day operations of the city are an afterthought. There have been financial costs, such as the failed strategic plan to taxpayers and the hiring of a recruiting firm to fill the Human Resources position that Westbrook filled for nine months. The financial impact is real, while substantial improvements to life in Sheboygan are few and far between!
Mayor Sorenson has tried to raise money around a crowning achievement of banning a form of therapy for which he could not provide evidence existed in Sheboygan. That is the definition of misguided focus!
COVID-19 is once again on the rise in Sheboygan County, with recent data showing an uptick in hospitalizations. As we enter the fall season, a time when cases of the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 tend to increase, it’s crucial that we approach the situation with common sense and empathy.
For the past three years, we’ve been living with this virus, and now a new variant is on the horizon. Fall in Wisconsin often brings illness, but it’s time to come together as a community and make thoughtful choices.
Respecting Mask Choices Whether you choose to wear a mask or not, your decision is respected here. Let’s be understanding of one another’s choices and embrace a spirit understanding.
Embracing Vaccine Choices The decision to get a booster shot is a personal one. Whether you opt for it or not, your choice is honored. Let’s encourage a culture of respect for individual vaccination decisions.
Empowering Educational Choices As we reflect on the lessons of 2020-21, it’s evident that our children bore a heavy burden when schools closed. The toll it took on their education, social development, and access to extracurricular activities was profound and, in some cases, continues to affect them. We believe in keeping schools open, with the option for parents to decide what’s best for their children – whether it’s in-person learning or remote education. Attending school with a mask or without a mask is a decision that parents should be able to make based on their preferences and concerns. Let’s prioritize the well-being and choices of our families as we move forward.
Supporting Local Businesses Local businesses are the backbone of our community. They should have the autonomy to make decisions that suit their unique circumstances. Let’s refrain from undue government interference and support our local entrepreneurs.
Respecting Personal Rights As we face the reality of increasing cases, it’s essential to respect personal rights and choices. Mandates are not the solution; people should have the freedom to make decisions regarding COVID-19.
Take Back Sheboygan County advocates for a common-sense approach as we move into the fall and beyond. COVID-19 may be here to stay, but that doesn’t mean we can’t live our lives in the way we choose. It’s all about empowering individuals to make their own decisions rather than imposing mandates. The power lies in choice, and together, we can navigate these challenging times.
This coming Tuesday, September 12, the SASD Board of Education will vote to approve an 8% pay raise for staff. You have been silenced in this process as it has been done without any public knowledge. The time is now for you to show up and be heard.
Do you currently make nearly $80,000 a year and expect an 8% pay raise from your employer?
Are you struggling with getting by with the increased cost of living due to inflation and make less than $80,000 a year?
Does it sicken you to hear someone making almost $80,000 a year voice concerns over how hard it is to live in this economy?
Do you oppose lying by the SASD teachers’ union?
The Sheboygan Education Association (SEA) has lied to its members, stating that the SASD is going to impose a pay cut by only increasing wages by 4%.
The time to act is now! You must show up and voice your opinion on this 8% pay increase by the SASD.
There are teachers that deserve a significant pay raise, but that is not all teachers of the SASD.
You need to plan to attend the Board meeting on Tuesday, September 12!
What: Sheboygan Area School District Board of Education meeting When: Tuesday, September 12, at 6:35 p.m. Where: SASD Offices at 3330 Stahl Rd. Sheboygan, WI 53081 Room: Board Room
Your voice is needed as the SASD moves to approve an 8% raise for all staff. The impact on you as a taxpayer is significant. Plan to stay after the public input session to see presentations from North High School which currently “meets few expectations” and South High School which “fails to meet expectations” based off the current State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Report Cards.
The community and our children need your support Tuesday night!
This upcoming Tuesday, September 12th, the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) School Board may approve a 4% pay raise with an additional 4% salary stipend for employees of the SASD. This 8% pay raise is on a Committee of the Whole agenda, which prevents any public input on the matter. This is a significant expenditure for the district and involves taxpayer dollars. Should taxpayers have a chance to share their input?
The SASD had a Board meeting on August 22nd where there was an opportunity for public input. This opportunity was clouded in secrecy in that the agenda item was for a closed session that stated, “To deliberate strategies to address specific issues pertaining to collective bargaining for teachers.” Take Back Sheboygan County has received insight that some, if not all members of the school board, were kept in the dark on the breakdown in negotiations between the SASD and the Sheboygan Educators Association (SEA) which is the formal name of the teachers’ union.
Take Back Sheboygan County discovered concerns over SEA by district leadership prior to this meeting. Seth Harvatine expressed concerns to Board members over the SEA’s activity in the negotiation process. Harvatine normally does not comment on matters like this but felt compelled to voice concerns over the SEA during the negotiation.
Harvatine was made aware of an email that SEA sent only to its members that included false information. The false information revolved around the August 22 Board meeting and stated that the administration will be presenting information to the Board on salary negotiations during the open session. That was untrue based on the posted agenda reference previously.
The second lie from the SEA stated that there is a likelihood that the Board will impose a pay cut on the teachers unless SEA members show up in solidarity.
It was also uncovered that Harvatine met extensively with the SEA President and was not made aware of this messaging by SEA. Harvatine then met with three SEA team leadership members, and they all stated they did not send the email with inaccurate information, and they would need to check on who sent that email to SEA members.
It was not until teachers began sharing in the public comment of the August 22 Board meeting that it was clear that the SASD was offering a 4% raise and the SEA was asking for an 8% raise. This clearly illustrates the SEA was lying to its members by stating the SASD would impose a pay cut.
Had this been clearly communicated in a transparent way by the SASD Board to stakeholders, you would have had an opportunity to share your opinion on the 8% raise in that meeting as well. The SASD Board of Education is leaving you out of the decision-making process and silencing you!
Several SASD staff members spoke about the challenges of inflation and providing for themselves and their families in today’s economy.
If the advocacy of the SEA is for teachers on the low end of the pay scale to receive a pay raise, why is the SEA lying to its members in their communication? If you are a teacher struggling to make a livable wage at around $40,000 a year and do legitimately deserve a pay raise, can you honestly look at your colleague making close to $80,000 a year and believe that they need and deserve the same raise as you?
The following SASD staff members spoke at the August 22nd meeting in support of an 8% pay increase.
The pressure of inflation is real, and some of the stories shared by SASD staff members were sad and authentic. Take Back Sheboygan County supports a significant pay raise for some SASD teachers.
In reviewing the salaries of some staff members who spoke at the meeting, there are some concerns. Everyone is impacted by inflation. When you see someone making almost $80,000 a year voice concern over the impact of inflation and demand an 8% raise, it is tough to swallow. As a taxpayer, do you currently make close to $80,000 and plan on receiving an 8% raise from your employer this year?
The staff members making $42,000 a year should receive a significant pay raise. In the current economy, the cost of rent, childcare, food, and gasoline presents real challenges to living comfortably on close to $40,000 a year. Take Back Sheboygan County advocates for a significant raise for SASD employees on the low end of the pay scale.
The concern arises from the SASD strategically moving to pass the 8% raise in the dark, excluding taxpayers from any voice in the decision. There is also massive concern about an 8% raise across the board. That is not acceptable without the public and stakeholders like you having a voice in the process!
If the SASD staff members on the high end of the pay scale are advocating for this raise for the employees on the lower end of the scale, then they should decline the massive pay increase to afford the SASD the opportunity to increase pay for employees on the lower end in a fiscally responsible way. If this is about advocacy for an employee making close to $40,000 a year, then exclude the high-end pay scale employees from the massive raise!
This is not exact math but a general example of the impact this massive pay increase will have on the financial health of the SASD. The SASD annual budget is roughly $160 million. Salaries make up approximately 70% of the budget or $112 million. An 8% salary increase would cost the SASD $8.96 million this year. This is an estimate, and actual numbers could be requested from the district.
It would be more responsible for the SASD to provide stakeholders with an estimate of the fiscal impact of this massive raise. It would also be far more responsible to allow this discussion to take place in full transparency, during a general board meeting where there is an opportunity for public discussion. As a taxpayer or stakeholder in the SASD, do you want an opportunity to share your opinion on this massive pay raise?
The SASD School Board is eliminating you from this process! Board President Mary Lynn Donohue and Superintendent Seth Harvatine strategically placed this massive pay increase on the agenda of a meeting that does not allow public input to silence you!
The Board does not value your opinion or make any effort to seek your opinion as a stakeholder in the SASD. If you want an opportunity for your voice to be heard, you need to contact the SASD and the school board.
Demand an opportunity for public input! Demand that your voice is heard.
This is your tax dollars being spent without you having a seat at the table.
Email your concerns to SASD Leadership and the Board.
City of Sheboygan Human Resources Director, Adam Westbrook, resigned on August 30th. Take Back Sheboygan County had previously highlighted the culture of fear, intimidation, and retaliation experienced by City employees during the tumultuous nine months after Westbrook’s arrival in Sheboygan.
Following Westbrook’s resignation announcement, Take Back Sheboygan County received messages from current and former employees, shedding more light on the situation. The fear of retaliation and the culture of intimidation have somewhat lessened with Westbrook’s impending departure.
One such message came from a 26-year veteran employee of the City of Sheboygan who has since left. This employee’s story is concerning because he worked overtime and holiday events, received satisfactory and above-average performance reviews, yet left the City of Sheboygan due to the toxic work environment and a lack of leadership.
The employee’s troubles began with an accident while driving a City truck in a park last year in October. During this incident, the truck’s equipment box clipped a pole, causing damage. The employee reported the accident and was informed, before Westbrook’s tenure, that a performance improvement plan would be initiated, as it was standard procedure after accidents. However, the City never implemented the improvement plan, and the employee received a satisfactory review and a pay raise.
Another incident occurred this past April, after Westbrook’s arrival when the employee accidentally backed a City vehicle into another car in a parking lot. The employee followed the proper procedures by notifying the vehicle owner and calling the police, which led to a report being filed.
Westbrook subsequently met with the employee and presented three options: resign the next day, resign in a few weeks, or accept a 24% pay cut and work as a janitor. Considering his family and the impact of inflation, the employee couldn’t easily absorb such a significant pay cut.
The employee requested time to think and later reviewed the letter presented by Westbrook during the meeting. However, the letter only outlined the immediate or the few week resignation options, omitting the offer for a lower-paying position that would allow continued employment.
Feeling concerned, the employee sought someone to talk to. Since Westbrook was unavailable, Mayor Sorenson agreed to meet with him. During the meeting, the employee shared his story, and Mayor Sorenson assured him that the City would address the situation. However, after this meeting, Mayor Sorenson disappeared, offering no further support or solutions.
The employee then worked out an agreement with another colleague in the same department who expressed interest in the 26-year employee’s position. The supervisor reassured both employees that this arrangement would work, and they would both have jobs.
However, the 26-year employee later learned that both positions needed to be individually posted for two weeks, prolonging the process to one month. During this time, the employee was also informed that he could no longer operate any City vehicle. Despite interviewing for the open position, knowing that driving wasn’t a requirement, the employee was later told that he wouldn’t even be allowed to drive a lawnmower, and he did not get the position.
Feeling frustrated and unfairly treated, the employee asked the supervisor how to explain to others why he didn’t get the job. The supervisor’s response was that he could say the supervisor had “F&*%ed him over.” This reply did not sit well with the employee, who requested a meeting with a higher-level manager and Westbrook. An invitation was extended to the supervisor who used the vulgar word, making the employee uncomfortable as the supervisor attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the employee explained that Westbrook had downplayed the use of the F-word and had repeatedly used it, even jokingly. The employee was informed that the only option to continue employment with the City was to accept the lower-paying position as a janitor with a 24% pay cut.
Frustrated, the 26-year employee eventually left the City of Sheboygan for another employer. The substantial pay cut, coupled with the perceived unfair treatment, drove away a long-serving, skilled, and dedicated employee.
As Westbrook’s questionable treatment led to the employee’s departure, this individual has now come forward since finding alternative employment and Westbrook’s resignation. This underscores the fear and intimidation prevalent in Sheboygan’s Human Resources office during Westbrook’s nine-month tenure, where the ‘human’ was seemingly removed from ‘human resources.’
While there is a sense of relief and even joy in Westbrook’s departure, a more significant concern looms over Sheboygan. The plight of the 26-year employee illustrates Mayor Ryan Sorenson’s failures. Mayor Sorenson had promised support to this employee but disappeared during his time of greatest need as he struggled to provide for his family amidst high inflation and a forced 24% pay cut.
Mayor Sorenson and eight of the ten members of the Common Council (excluding Alders Mitchell and Heidemann) are responsible for the toxic work environment and the mass exodus of City employees. The abrupt termination of City Administrator Todd Wolf without cause, driven by the mayor and eight of the ten members of the Common Council, has placed Sheboygan in this unfortunate predicament. Their decision to hire Westbrook further exacerbated the existing issues at City Hall.
Mayor Sorenson is failing City employees and failing taxpayers. His misdirected focus is evident as he participates in groundbreaking ceremonies for Popeye’s Chicken and attends Esslingen Fest. Where was Mayor Sorenson when this dedicated 26-year employee struggled to support his family in the face of a 24% pay cut?
Take Back Sheboygan County knows that many former and current City employees have been reluctant to share their stories for fear of retaliation. If you are one of these, we welcome you to contact us. Your name will not be shared without permission. You can contact us at https://takebacksheboygancounty.com/contact/.
“Corruption at City Hall” is an ongoing series that began in early July. Plans are to continue until all issues have been exposed and resolved. Taxpayers must be assured that City leadership truly serves the people, not self-interest or special interest groups.
You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!
Part 8, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall: Westbrook Forces Out Two More City Employees
Take Back Sheboygan County has learned that the past few weeks have seen a continued turnover of city employees. One employee with 29 years of service was forced into early retirement for writing the name “Todd Wolf” on a questionnaire at the City Administrator stakeholder meetings. This employee has no known previous disciplinary issues and provided service to the city admirably. Some quotes that were shared anonymously were, “This employee did not have enough years of service to retire, so this does not make sense.” Another employee shared that the retirement pizza party and news came very abruptly.
An anonymous report stated that this employee asked who would do the job upon retirement and volunteered to stay on board to train the replacement. This employee was instructed that was not an option. This leaves a department in our city that is already battling staffing issues to cover a full-time position with no plan or consideration from Westbrook regarding the vacancy it would cause in the department.
Take Back Sheboygan County was anonymously informed that another employee with ties to Chad Pelishek was terminated and walked out of City Hall on Tuesday, August 8, which coincides with the same day Take Back Sheboygan County released the post detailing Chad Pelishek’s lawsuit.
What was the immediate danger and threat to the city by this employee that required immediate termination? Was the threat significant enough that the city needed to terminate this employee on the same day as the release of the lawsuit and risk it being labeled as retaliation?
Take Back Sheboygan County was notified of statements made by Mr. Westbrook in an email regarding harassment concerns based on religion due to Mayor Sorenson’s photo with a group mocking the Catholic religion. The citizen shared that city employees voiced concerns over harassment based on their religion due to the photo but faced the fear of bringing the concern forward due to not wanting to be terminated without cause like former city administrator Todd Wolf.
Westbrook responded in an email on July 19 with the following:
“As you know, I was not here when the Todd situation happened and had no role in that investigation or in the decision to terminate his position. As an attorney and an HR professional, I understand that retaliation is always worse than the original violation and would never allow or support an employee being terminated for filing a sincere report of harassment, discrimination, or bullying. (Obviously making something up would be a different story.)”
Westbrook expands on that later in the email with this statement:
“If these employees still have the irrational fear that I will retaliate or share their information (which they would have zero reason to hold that opinion of me), they have the option to follow the whistleblower procedure which (while still needing to provide their information) adds protection under the whistleblower law.”
With two employees ending their employment with our city recently and city employees stating that it was “heavy-handed discipline” and the “consequence did not match the issue” anonymously to Take Back Sheboygan, Westbrook feels that no city employee has a rational reason to fear interacting with him as Human Resources Director. City employees are communicating with Take Back Sheboygan and voicing concerns out of genuine fear of Westbrook, Mayor Sorenson, and eight of the ten members of the Common Council (excluding Alder Trey Mitchell and Alder Joe Heidemann).
Westbrook states that he understands that retaliation is always worse than the violation. Was the termination of an employee with close ties to Chad Pelishek on the same day this site posted information on Pelishek’s lawsuit retaliation?
The culture of fear and intimidation is rampant among city employees!
In the emails between Westbrook and the citizen regarding the harassment investigation, Westbrook refused to meet with the resident over the concern and instructed the citizen to review the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (E.E.O.C.) website for education.
Westbrook often refers to himself as an attorney and a Human Resources professional. In the Pelishek suit, there is an allegation that Westbrook told Chad Pelishek, “You are not being discriminated against,” and that Pelishek has no “protected status.”
The same E.E.O.C that Westbrook directed the concerned citizen to use for education is the same agency that granted Pelishek the right to sue the city of Sheboygan for discrimination. This led to a second federal court case naming the City of Sheboygan.
Westbrook’s actions are impacting employees of the City of Sheboygan, forcing them to work every day in a culture of fear and intimidation. Westbrook’s reckless actions have added to the city’s challenges, and Westbrook denies that he was involved in the Wolf investigation. There are allegations in the Pelishek suit that after Westbrook started with the city, he was involved in the Wolf situation even after the termination. This contradicts Westbrook’s statement in the email to the citizen that attempts to distance himself from the “Todd situation.”
City employees are scared, frustrated, and wondering who is next. This is unfair to the people who work to serve you as a taxpayer every day. This negative work environment impacts the attitudes and mindset of city employees every day. It is admirable to see the commitment of the day-to-day employees not to allow this toxic environment to impact the services they provide. It is wearing on employees, and that impacts you as a taxpayer!
It is also wrong and unfair treatment of individuals who dedicate their careers to serving you. Why is Westbrook acting this way?
The forced retirement of a 29-year employee seems to be tied to behavior that upset the mayor and/or the eight members of the ten members (excluding Alder Mitchell and Alder Heidemann)of the Common Council.
Is Westbrook working for the City of Sheboygan as a whole, or is Westbrook working only for Mayor Sorenson and eight of the ten members (excluding Alders Mitchell and Heidemann) of the Common Council?
Five people, Including Mayor Ryan Sorenson, Named in a Lawsuit filed by Former Sheboygan Director of Planning and Development, Chad Pelishek.
The lawsuit was filed on August 7, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Pelishek resigned in May, 2023, after a 16-year career with the City of Sheboygan, citing severe negative impacts on himself and his family.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued Pelishek a Notice of the Right to Sue for his discrimination charge on June 15, 2023.
The defendants in the lawsuit include Sorenson, Common Council members Barbara Felde, Roberta Filicky-Peneski, and Amanda Salazar, as well as Emily Rendall-Araujo, the Director of Uptown Social.
The claim submitted by Pelishek’s attorney, Jennifer DeMaster, alleges that Pelishek faced abusive and hostile conditions in his job, driven by the DEI collective. They labeled him a racist for expressing concerns about racism and demanded his termination while fabricating a false narrative about him.
The lawsuit claims that Pelishek witnessed Todd Wolf being accused of harassment and misconduct, leading to his termination without cause by the City of Sheboygan. When Pelishek tried to present evidence disproving these allegations against Wolf, he and his family were harassed and threatened by City officials.
The events with Wolf and Pelishek stemmed from an incident at a Sheboygan Neighborhood Association meeting, where an unidentified person made a racial slur. Pelishek sought assistance from Mayor Sorenson to address racial issues in neighborhood meetings, but the mayor ignored his requests.
During a meeting on August 22, 2022, Pelishek asked for help in addressing racism, and Emily Rendall-Araujo told him to quote the racist comment made by the unidentified person in the neighborhood meeting. Pelishek then provided a quote of the comment made by the unidentified male that included a racial slur.
The lawsuit also covers a lunch meeting on October 5, 2022, where Wolf, Pelishek, and another City employee met with members of the DEI group. The DEI members asked for $70,000 for consulting work, and when Wolf refused, they threatened to oppose him.
On October 10, 2022, the Sheboygan Press published an article titled “Sheboygan Leader Uses Racist Slur in Meeting” with a picture of Pelishek.
The lawsuit alleges that Rendall-Araujo met with a Sheboygan Press reporter and influenced the publication of additional articles suggesting Pelishek was racist and that Wolf failed to address racism.
These events led to an investigation of Wolf and eventual termination without cause. Following Wolf’s termination, Pelishek was told by City Attorney Chuck Adams to report directly to Mayor Sorenson. When Pelishek asked if he could have a private lawyer for himself during an investigation, Sorenson denied the request, stating that Adams was his lawyer for all matters related to the City and the investigation.
Due to fear without being allowed an attorney, Pelishek recorded his interview with Attorney Hall when he was questioned regarding the Todd Wolf investigation. The suit states that after being pressed by Hall to share his concerns, Pelishek told Hall about concerns regarding troubling financial matters with Progressive/DEI connected individuals and the City that he was aware of, that those issues were under an external audit, that Rendall-Araujo told him to tell her exactly what racist statement was made, and that he believes Rendall-Araujo asking him to repeat it was a “set up” and “plotted attack”. Pelishek also informed Hall that the DEI group members threatened Todd Wolf at the October 5 meeting after Wolf denied them money from the City. The suit states that Hall asked Pelishek, “Do you recall DEI leaders saying that if Todd didn’t pay them that they would publicly oppose him?” Pelishek responded, “Yes, that was said.”
After the interview, there was a series of events that impacted Pelishek’s wife and children. Pelishek asked to have the record cleared about the meeting where the slur occurred and was denied. At one point Pelishek discussed events with Human Resources Director Adam Westbrook and said it felt like the Common Council was going to allow the false narratives and hostility to continue. He was told that he responded to Rendall-Araujo as a “white man of privilege”. Westbrook told Pelishek, “You are not being discriminated against” and that Pelishek had no “protected status.”
Mayor Sorenson then outsourced some of Pelishek’s job duties and refused to re-appoint him to the Harbor Centre Business Improvement District Board where Pelishek had served for roughly eight years. There were also several “public records” relating to “disciplinary” matters regarding the meeting where the racial slur was mentioned. Pelishek also reported to Filickyi-Peneski that he was being harassed, that he was set up, and that he was being targeted by Rendall-Araujo, Sorenson and Salazar. Filicky-Peneski stated that there was nothing the Common Council could do about this.
The suit details the investigation report from Attorney Hall regarding Todd Wolf. This report stated that Pelishek confirmed he made an unsolicited racial slur, that Todd Wolf told the media about the slur and the public violating Common Council orders, and that Pelishek said there was no threat at the lunch with the DEI group. The suit states that all those statements were factually untrue based on Pelishek’s interview with Hall.
The suit brings claims of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which portents employees from discrimination on the basis of their sex, sexual orientation, race and/or religion. The suit claims a hostile and abusive work environment and disparate treatment. The suit also claims a violation of Fourteenth Amendment rights to equal protection of the law. This prohibits the government from denying employees equal protection for the law based on their race, gender, or protected expressions.
The suit also claims that Pelishek’s first amendment rights under retaliation and prior restraint were violated.
The suit requests relief in declaratory judgements, injunctions, enjoining and permanently restraining the City of Sheboygan from continuing and practicing violations, compensatory damages and punitive damages.
There are no future dates scheduled at this time regarding this suit.
It is important to note that all information presented is based on allegations made in the lawsuit filed by Chad Pelishek. That case is currently before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the court will determine its outcome.
The challenges that Sheboygan faces in poor student achievement at the high schools in the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) and the lack of direction and leadership in the City of Sheboygan’s government have a common denominator in Mary Lynne Donohue. Donohue serves as the current School Board President of the SASD and Co-Chair of the Sheboygan County Democratic Party. Donohue has also previously served on the City of Sheboygan Common Council.
Donohue’s ties to everything happening in Sheboygan are deep. Donohue uses those ties to influence key decisions, and as evidenced in the previous post, she is comfortable advocating for causes by directly emailing the Common Council to publish a Request for Proposal that her organization drafted for the Common Council and would likely compete to secure the funding and contract for executing the work. Donohue’s connections also run into major budgetary decisions made by Sheboygan.
In the 2023 City of Sheboygan budget, the Sheboygan Press published an article on November 3, 2022, discussing the budget. Sheboygan Press reporter Maya Hilty states, “An increase in the budget for Mead Public Library is the largest proposed change in department budgets from 2022 to 2023.” The same article quotes Mead Public Library Board President Maeve Quinn on how the board unanimously approved a wage increase and expressed gratitude for the increased spending in the budget to do so.
Mead Public Library received a greater increase in funding in the 2023 budget than any other department. This increase was larger than the Police Department, Fire Department, and every other department that provides essential services to you as a taxpayer. The Mead Public Library Board President Maeve Quinn is also co-Chair of the Sheboygan County Democratic Party along with Donohue.
The following photograph comes from media reports on December 9, 2022. This illustrates that Donohue was serving as co-Chair of the Sheboygan County Democratic Party with Mead Public Library Board President Maeve Quinn at the same time the library received the largest increase in funding of any department in our city.
Donohue has been involved in the recruitment of Common Council members and has close ties to Mayor Ryan Sorenson. Mayor Sorenson has referred to Donohue as a mentor and, at one time, stated that he views Donohue as his second mother. Donohue’s involvement with the Common Council and Mayor Sorenson led her to be named in a current lawsuit against the City of Sheboygan. She is the only non-City employee or official named in this lawsuit.
When City Administrator Todd Wolf was fired without cause in January, there was a lack of clarity on who would manage the operational responsibilities of the City Administrator due to the vacancy. The Finance and Personnel Committee passed a resolution numbered 153-22-23 that appointed the Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee to take on some of the authority of the City Administrator. This was requested by department heads of Sheboygan to ensure day-to-day operations could be maintained and not require the two-week wait for Common Council approval. This went before the Common Council for approval on March 20, 2023.
Alder Amanda Salazar asked for an amendment to the resolution and asked for the body of the Common Council to make changes rather than allow just the Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee to make decisions. City of Sheboygan Assistant Attorney Liz Majerus commented that the majority of these decisions would be Human Resources-related and also Finance-related.
Alder Grazia Perella stated that she does not see much of a need for the resolution and does not see any daily tasks or responsibilities that would, in fact, hinder or prevent the Common Council as a whole from making the decision rather than one individual.
Alder Salazar made a motion to file the resolution. This means that the resolution would not be voted on, and the resolution could not be brought up again for one year. It was stated that all decisions would need to come before the Common Council.
On the roll call vote to file the resolution, Alder Mitchell abstained due to being the Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee. The motion to file the resolution passed on a 5-4 vote. Alder Roberta Filicky-Peneski voted in favor of the motion to file the resolution. She is the Vice President of the Finance and Personnel Committee, who approved the resolution and sent it to the Common Council with the recommendation for approval. Alder Filicky-Peneski was also the alder that brought the motion forward to the Council for a vote. The resolution was filed and could not be brought forward for a year. The City of Sheboygan moved forward with a lack of clarity and understanding of who was responsible for decisions on the day-to-day operations of running the City of Sheboygan. The understanding was that decisions that the City Administrator was required to make would come before the entire Common Council.
The vote to not identify a decision-maker on the day-to-day operations, leaving the decisions to the entire Common Council, was made with no alternative or options to a request that came from the City of Sheboygan Department Heads to allow the City to function efficiently. The day-to-day operations and the needs of the department heads were referred to by Alder Perella as not needed. She then voted to file the resolution. This shows a lack of understanding of the number of decisions made daily to ensure services are provided to taxpayers. An organization with a $124 million dollar budget and responsible for running a city with 50,000 residents requires efficiency and direction to function. Alder Salazar and Alder Perella demonstrated that they do not have concern or see much of a need for efficiency in daily decision-making power for the City of Sheboygan to provide you with daily services.
Since that vote, there have been multiple requests that have been brought forward to the Finance and Personnel Committee for consideration. Following is a document that was recently submitted and shown for your review:
Under staff comments, it states, “City staff has reviewed the above notice of claim and, under the authorization of the Mayor of Sheboygan, in consultation with the City Attorney and the Finance Department, have denied the notice of claim listed above” Previously, documents reviewed would state the decision made by the City Administrator on these claims In rejecting the resolution that would have allowed the Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee to have the authority to make decisions on the day-to-day operations of the city it was agreed that decisions would come before the Common Council.
Mayor Sorenson has now taken the responsibility of some day-to-day decisions from the responsibilities defined in the Municipal Code to the City Administrator. This illustrates that the needs and services of taxpayers are secondary to the power grab of Mayor Sorenson and the members of the Common Council with deep ties to Donohue.
While the day-to-day operations of the City of Sheboygan have been an afterthought, the commitment to Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been a central focus. Members of the Common Council and Donohue have advocated for a Request for Proposal to be published that was drafted by Donohue. The City’s proposed 5-Year Strategic Plan neglected priorities like Police and Fire Department and, instead, heavily incorporated elements favorable to DEI. That Strategic Plan was denied after public outcry and cost you as a taxpayer $140,000 in lost fees to a consulting company.
Budget priorities from last year, such as a new Firehouse No. 3 and development in the industrial parks have stalled. The City is moving forward with hiring a City Administrator, and the process included explicit directions from Human Resources Director Adam Westbrook that taxpayers like you, who are not City of Sheboygan employees, who attempted to attend would be asked to leave. The presentations by the two finalists for the City Administrator position were referred to as a Stakeholder Presentation. According to Mayor Sorenson, Human Resources Director Adam Westbrook and members of the Common Council, you are not a stakeholder!
Mayor Sorenson has gone rogue in approving and denying claims from residents without oversight from the Common Council. Mayor Sorenson is trampling on City Ordinances by denying resident claims that were previously the responsibility of the City Administrator. Mayor Sorenson has also trampled on the right to Free Speech by not allowing resident complaints to be on the Common Council agenda. This also prevents other residents from sharing their thoughts or opinions due to there not being an agenda item.
Again, Donohue is a major influence with the Common Council, the Mayor, and the SASD.
At a recent SASD Board meeting, Donohue referred to a Wisconsin State Report Card growth formula as “intergalactic” and difficult to explain, while the formula rewards schools that are increasing the academic achievement of students who have been traditionally marginalized by the educational system.
These are people that would benefit from relevant DEI work, work that focused on helping people of color, people with disabilities, and people who are economically disadvantaged. As Chair of the Sheboygan Justice Equity group and an advocate for DEI work, Donohue dismissed another school that is doing better than Sheboygan South in increasing achievement in these marginalized populations.
Under the leadership of Donohue, DEI in Sheboygan has demonstrated a different priority than enriching the lives of marginalized populations.
The following are pictures from Sheboygan South High School’s library of books that had to be removed after public outrage drove the SASD administration and School Board to act. These pictures were in books available to be checked out in a library of a school that was under the governance of School Board President Mary Lynne Donohue. The picture of Mayor Sorenson was from the Pride Event in Sheboygan on June 24 and was published on the Visit Sheboygan Facebook page.
We caution you that some of the images from the books that were available for students in the Sheboygan South High School Library are explicit.
This is what DEI looks like under Mayor Sorenson and School Board President Mary Lynne Donohue!
The City of Sheboygan is currently facing many challenges. There has been recent attention brought to the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) and the academic failures of the high schools. Additionally, the City of Sheboygan’s government is in a pending budget crisis due to the firing of the City Administrator. Furthermore, significant decreases in tax revenue are on the horizon with the expected closing of the power plant. The priorities from last year’s budget are in danger of not being delivered, as the Firehouse 3 project and the development of the industrial parks have stalled.
The filling of the vacant City Administrator position is moving forward with a stakeholder presentation from the two finalists on Monday. HR Director Adam Westbrook communicated to City employees that they would not be able to ask questions and that only City employees would be allowed to attend. The public was entirely eliminated from the hiring process, and Westbrook even informed City employees that if they shared or invited non-employees, they would be asked to leave. Taxpayers like you are not viewed as stakeholders in the hiring of the most important position the City of Sheboygan will hire.
The overall City employee experience has been concerning, as key services like the Human Resources office have been outsourced, and City employees fear sharing concerns due to the risk of being terminated without cause, similar to former City Administrator Todd Wolf. City Hall heavily emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, but day-to-day operations are often overlooked.
The challenges faced by the City of Sheboygan and the Sheboygan Area School District have something in common.
Mary Lynn Donohue has a history of serving the City of Sheboygan. She has served on the Common Council and currently serves as President of the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) School Board.
Donohue previously advocated to the Common Council as the Chair of the Sheboygan Justice Equity group by submitting a Request for Proposal (RFP) to City leadership with the aim to research, identify, and strategize on a process to bring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive structure to City government. Below is a copy of an email that Donohue sent to the Common Council on October 28, 2022, with the subject: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Issues in the City.”
At the SASD School Board meeting on June 13, 2023, the Board was hearing updates on the strategic plan and the progress of the district. Donohue was referencing concerns regarding the Wisconsin State Report Card Scores of Sheboygan South High School and Green Bay East High School. It has been previously reported that Green Bay East High School has a score of 70.6, which is defined as “Exceeds Expectations,” while Sheboygan South High School has a score of 41.2, which is defined as “Fails to Meet Expectations.”
Donohue expressed concern over how South High School can have higher achievement scores in Reading, Math, and a better graduation rate than Green Bay East High School and stated that she can show many ways that South High School is better than Green Bay East High School.
There was then a discussion of how the report card places emphasis on growth to balance the score and challenges of schools serving populations that are more diverse in ethnicity and economic status. The Department of Public Instruction implemented the growth factor to show the hard work that schools do to improve learning for student groups that face challenges in everyday life. Ms. Donohue referred to this as “some intergalactic growth formula.”
In examining the report card data, this is the definition under the growth section directly from the report card:
“This priority area measures the year-to-year student progress on statewide tests. It uses a value-added model that seeks to control for circumstances beyond the influence of educators. A high-value added score means that on average students in the school are progressing more quickly than other, similar students. Growth is scored from 0 to 100 to match the other priority areas and is a conversion from the roughly 0 to 6 value-added score.”
The growth scores are as follows:
Green Bay East High School: 80.3
Sheboygan South High School: 33.7
The report card then provides data of growth in Reading and Math for groups of students that have been traditionally marginalized by the education system.
Here is a breakdown of a small sample of the data (Scores go from 0-6. The higher the number, the better the score):
Data Retrieved from: https://apps2.dpi.wi.gov/reportcards/ Department of Public Instruction School Report Cards 2021-2022 School Year for Green Bay East High School and Sheboygan South High School
The data illustrates that Green Bay East High School is more successful in serving students of traditionally marginalized populations than Sheboygan South High School. Donohue’s claim that she can show many ways Sheboygan South High School is better than Green Bay East High School is alarming. As Chair of the Sheboygan Justice Equity group, she does not seem to have the ability to analyze data and determine that East High School is outperforming South High School in educating students of marginalized populations.
Donohue did not use her platform as School Board President to advocate for South High School to better serve the needs of students in poverty, students with disabilities, and students of color.
This calls into question Donohue’s expertise in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Donohue also has ties to members of the Common Council and Mayor Ryan Sorenson. She serves as one of the leaders in the local Democratic party. Donohue is involved in the focus on DEI in Sheboygan, and her ties to this are deep. The current version of DEI in the schools and the city government has been prevalent for the last year. Donohue serving as a chair of an organization that is focused on DEI and emailing the Common Council directly to open a request for proposal that her organization drafted is brazen. It is uncommon for an organization seeking to bid on a proposal to submit a draft of a proposal to the Common Council and then follow up to encourage the Common Council to publish the request for proposal.
This brazen nature illustrates the connection of Donohue to members of the Common Council and to Mayor Sorenson.
The City of Sheboygan is operating with no structure or leadership currently on key issues like the official budget process, strategic plan, and completion of budget priorities from the current year. The City has no defined process on who can approve spending or sign-off on key measures in the absence of a City Administrator. The City of Sheboygan is currently on a path of fiscal uncertainty that will impact you soon, following the significant increases in property assessments you recently received!
Donohue is connected to current City leadership and is School Board President of the SASD. Donohue is also so closely connected to the City of Sheboygan government that she is named in a pending lawsuit regarding the termination without cause of former City Administrator Todd Wolf. The connection is even stronger in that Donohue was initially being represented in that case by City of Sheboygan Attorney Chuck Adams.
Would City of Sheboygan Attorney Chuck Adams represent any other private citizen of Sheboygan in a court case?
The serious concerns expressed on this site about student achievement at the high schools in the SASD and the corruption at City Hall have one common denominator… Mary Lynn Donohue.
Over the last six weeks, we have uncovered continuing issues at city hall. In our special update edition of this series, we lay out what we have recently discovered.
Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall: Sheboygan Plunges into Budget Crisis While Mayor Moves to Hire Administrator Without You
The City of Sheboygan is in the critical budget planning phase right now. A budget for any organization is vital and essential, and the official budget is the commitment to the organization’s actions for the next year. The budget decides what will be funded and delivered as results. As a taxpayer, our City’s budget is how your tax dollars will be invested in ways that benefit you through services, improvements, and other projects that increase your quality of life as a Sheboygan resident.
Having a plan on how to build and approve a budget is essential to an organization’s success. Sheboygan assigns this duty to the City Administrator. However, Sheboygan currently does not have a City Administrator due to Mayor Sorenson and eight members of the Common Council decision in January to fire Todd Wolf without cause. Sheboygan’s annual budget this year is $124.8 million. Building and approving an effective budget is required for the City of Sheboygan to deliver services and is a direct investment of your tax dollars.
The State of Wisconsin has increased revenue sharing with municipalities. As a result, Sheboygan will be receiving more revenue from the state. This increase in funding from the state is due to years of work by the state legislature to provide more money to city governments to ease the burden on local taxpayers.
With this additional funding from the state, each department head in the City of Sheboygan will be looking to get a portion of that money to increase the value that their departments provide to residents. City workers also deserve a wage increase to keep up with inflation and increased wages for other lines of work. The challenge is that wage increases are an ongoing commitment to spending city dollars. There needs to be guaranteed ongoing revenue increases to support wage increases in a sustainable way.
The City of Sheboygan will also be losing considerable tax revenue due to the closing of the Edgewater power plant. Next year, our City will lose an estimated $300,000 to $500,000 in tax revenues. It is essential for our City to plan other ways to increase the tax base to recoup this loss of revenue. This could typically come from new developments that would add to the tax base.
The budget process needs to be completed by early November to allow the City of Sheboygan time to process property tax bills and mail those to residents prior to January 1, when residents are required to pay them. Your tax bill is dependent on this process. The lives of City of Sheboygan employees are impacted because their income is also affected. Additionally the services, projects, and essential functions of the City of Sheboygan depend on this.
In years past, there was a specific timeline with dates to complete steps of the process. At this time of year, department heads submit budget requests, and the City Administrator decides what gets funding and what does not. The City Administrator then puts together the budget and presents it to the Common Council for approval.
Due to the mayor and eight of the ten Common Council members voting to fire former City Administrator Wolf without cause, there is no City Administrator. The mayor lists himself as the Chief Executive Officer on the City of Sheboygan website, and as the CEO, the mayor needs to manage the budget process in the absence of a City Administrator.
Mayor Sorenson has no plan on how to build the budget!
Department heads have been instructed to submit budget item requests to the Finance Department Director. There is no plan on who will determine what requests get funding or not. There is not a clear and defined timeline of what will be done and who will be responsible for deciding on the budget!
There is no plan nor are there answers on how to increase the tax base to offset the loss in revenue from the closing of the Edgewater power plant. The mayor shot down a $50+ million multi-phased development in downtown Sheboygan that would have created housing and storefronts. This development would have assisted local companies by providing housing in a desirable downtown location to attract employees. In addition, this development would have provided some assistance in overcoming the lost revenue of the Edgewater power plant.
The City of Sheboygan has no defined decision-maker or clear plan on how to invest your tax dollars to improve your quality of life as a Sheboygan resident!
The reckless decisions of Mayor Ryan Sorenson and eight of the ten members of the Common Council are beginning to impact you as a resident in the services you will receive in the next year and how your tax dollars will be spent!
The City of Sheboygan is also finalizing the hiring of a new City Administrator. This is the most important position the City hires as it is not elected and serves as the person who runs its operations. In other municipalities, this is a very public process that allows the public access to meet the candidates or hear the candidates speak. This position is also vital to our City of Sheboygan employees as the City Administrator will be at the top of its organizational structure.
On Monday, July 31, the two final candidates for City Administrator will participate in a final step of the hiring process at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at City Hall in the Common Council chamber.
In an email to all City employees on Thursday, July 27, Human Resources Director Adam Westbrook provided an update on the City Administrator hiring process. City of Sheboygan employees were told that they can attend the final presentations to see the finalists “in action”. City employees were also directly told that they will not have an opportunity to ask questions during the final candidate presentations.
The email from Westbrook also included, “This invitation is only open to City employees. Any non-employee who shows up will not be allowed to attend the presentations and will be asked to leave, so please do not invite or share this invite with non-employees.”
Mayor Sorenson is intentionally preventing you from being involved in the most important hire that the City of Sheboygan will make!
This process is intentionally being conducted under a veil of secrecy. There is no transparency and no opportunity for you as taxpayers to be involved in or witness to the hiring of the next City of Sheboygan Administrator. This is the person responsible for providing you with services and responsible for spending your tax dollars! You do not have a voice in this process!
Westbrook stating to employees that they cannot share or invite members of the public is also an authority play on City employees. This statement puts the Human Resources Department in a clear position of power over all City employees. If it is determined that a City of Sheboygan employee shared this information, Westbrook’s statement makes it clear that sharing this information would result in disciplinary action for not complying with a directive.
Westbrook is using his power as the Human Resources Director to intimidate and control our City’s employees to prevent you from attending the final step in hiring a City Administrator on Monday!
Call to Action
The City of Sheboygan is in dire straits due to the failed leadership of Mayor Sorenson and the eight members of the Common Council. You have to act and send emails to the mayor and the Common Council. The future of Sheboygan depends on good people standing up to this corruption!
If you have questions you want to ask the final candidates email your alder those questions. Demand them to be asked to prevent the council and Mayor Sorenson from silencing you as a valuable stakeholder!
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.
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!)
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.