With months of turmoil in Sturgis city government, some citizens are actively seeking to recall the current mayor. The main issue stems from her appointment following the prior mayor’s resignation.
After former mayor Mark Carstensen’s resignation earlier in the year and change from the city manager format, Sturgis continues to grapple with the changes in local government.
That has led a cadre of citizens to call for the ouster of new mayor Angela Wilkerson, who was appointed to the role earlier this year.
Residents like Eric Davis, who says that appointment symbolizes the root of the concerns. He describes Wilkerson as a holdover of the previous government.
“Ignoring public outcry for a mayoral election, the outgoing city council instead appointed our current mayor who was a staunch loyalist of the former city manager and his policies, in my view as a way to entrench an opposition party the citizens had soundly rejected," Davis said. "What we’ve seen since is that the citizen’s elected representatives have been continually obstructed by the former city managers remaining loyalists.”
Additionally, two members of the Sturgis administrative team have stepped down. This comes as the local budget crunch threatens some local government positions.
That doesn’t mean the mayor is without support in the community though, like longtime state employee and Sturgis resident Brandon Snyder. He questions some of the tactics used by opponents of Wilkerson.
“In the Midwest, South Dakota, and Sturgis especially, we hold strong values," Snyder said. "Mayor Wilkerson didn’t step into the role of mayor for prestige or personal gains, she did it because she cares. Let’s be honest, she does not make enough as mayor to be dealing with the challenges the community currently faces. She has even recommended a pay cur for her position. Disagreement is a natural part of democracy, but we must do so with respect.”
Wilkerson was not present at the most recent Sturgis City Council meeting.