STURGIS, S.D. – The Sturgis City Council met in special session Wednesday with one main agenda item – severing their relationship with City Attorney Mark Marshall.
The council spent just over an hour in executive session before returning with a motion from Jim Thompson, who moved to dismiss Mr. Marshall from his duties with cause as of the end of the meeting.
However, Mayor Angela Wilkerson, who participated via a phone link because she was out of town, told Alderman Thompson that motion is out of order because “council does not have the authority to do that.”
Mayor Wilkerson then asked Thompson to amend his motion, which Mr. Thompson did to dismiss Mr. Marshall by November first.
Mayor Wilkerson again told Mr. Thompson that he needed to change the word dismiss and perhaps add resignation.
Mr. Thompson obliged, stating “I have no desire to embarrass Mr. Marshal, I just don’t want him to be here, to be in our way any longer.”
Thompson then amended his motion a third time, asking for the resignation of Mr. Marshall by November first. Councilor Ruth Kopp seconded his motion and it was approved with one no vote coming from Alderman Mike Bachand.
The council’s relationship with Mr. Marshall since the swearing in of new council members in May has been strained. There was a clear desire of some council members to move on from Marshall following several decisions he has made that they did not agree with.
