In the recent election, Sturgis voters chose to move away from a mayor-directed system of city government, but the vote sent other ripples that the community is still grappling with.
The community of Black Hills passed a resolution to move city government to an alderman system overseen by a mayor after a widely circulated petition had taken the issue to court.
The city challenged the move, but a state Supreme Court ruling ultimately made the vote mandatory.
The changes have come with changes within the city's executive branch, including the resignation of longtime Mayor Mark Carstensen and the appointment of City Council Member Angela Wilkerson as mayor.
Sturgis city spokeswoman Deb Holland said other obstacles have arisen as the community changes its form of government.
“The city attorney put together a recommendation that many of the city's guidelines, ordinances and resolutions should be changed to 'Mayor' rather than 'Mayor,'” Holland said. “This was a fairly involved process that required the council to pass a resolution.”
The adjustments mean more than 150 changes to policies, rules and regulations for the City Council and City Attorney to address, including returning the mayor’s responsibility to the Mayor’s Office and reserving the mayor’s voting power only in the event of a tie vote on City Council.
Holland said the city is still considering its options, including further changes in administration.
“We have staff that is moving forward to try to answer those questions,” Holland said. “I think the public understands that we're OK and we have the option of a city manager that we can reach out to and use if we want.”
While the roles are similar, a city administrator is more involved in the day-to-day running of city government, while a city manager is more involved in negotiations and economic development.
If the community chooses to go that route, the City Council would have to pass a new ordinance.
