STURGIS, S.D. – The Sturgis Council Monday night narrowly approved a temporary resolution that addresses the transition to City Government without a city manager but opening up the possibility of employing a city administrator.
The city manager form of government was voted down by voters at last week’s municipal election.
The primary goal of the resolution is to minimize conflicts between the city’s shift away from the city manager and towards the mayor as the administrative head.
The mayor has the option to appoint a city administrator to run the day to day operations of the city. For that to happen, the council will need to create the office through an ordinance.
The temporary resolution reappoints the interim executive management committee to continue operating the day to day operations until a city administrator can be hired.
Staff Attorney Erik Miller:
Miller was asked by Mayor Angela Wilkerson what were the consequence of not having such a resolution in place.
The resolution, though, did not pass unanimously. Councilors Aaron Jordan, Tony Dargatz and Kevin Forrester voted no. Councilor Jordan on his no vote.
The resolution passed 4 to 3 and with the successful canvassing of last week’s election, it became official Sturgis no longer has a city manager form of government.
The new council, which will be sworn in next month, will now be tasked with writing an ordinance that would set up a city administrator position – if that is what the council chooses to do.
