The 2024-25 session of the Sheboygan Common Council began on Tuesday as the newly-elected alderpersons took their oaths of office at last night’s organizational meeting, with one notable exception. Absent from the session was 10th District Alder Joe Heidemann, who won a challenge to his seat from Marcial Reinthaler by a 407-411 vote that was verified in a recount. But that process has not yet been finished, as City Attorney Charles Adams says that Reinthaler has until Thursday to appeal last week’s recount according to statutes.
After the swearing in ceremony, Alder Trey Mitchell had asked that votes on council president and vice president wait until Heideman was present, a motion that Alder John Belanger supported, saying that “…because what you’re doing, you’re disenfranchising Alderman Heidemann from running for any of these (Council President, Vice President) positions, and you’re disenfranchising the residents of the 10th District from having any say or representation in this process.”
Sheboygan City Attorney Charles Adams replied that “‘The statute, or ordinance, does provide that the election of the president shall occur at the organizational meeting’, and today is the organizational meeting per the code, so today is the proper day to vote on that.”
Alder Trey Mitchell then moved to postpone the pending motion (to elect officers) definitely until the next regular meeting where all ten districts in the City have a representative.”
Attorney Adams replied that the only way that would happen would be via what’s colloquially known as the “3-man-hold”, but that would require three alders to request the hold. The 3-man-hold is a uniquely-Sheboygan procedure not known elsewhere in parliamentary procedure. Mitchell and Belanger didn’t have the support of the rest of the Council to make that happen, and so Dean Dekker was chosen again to continue as Common Council President, and Zach Rust was elected Vice-President. Adams said that Heidemann could be sworn in as early as this Friday.
I was very disappointed to watch the Sheboygan Common Council shenanigans last night at the very first meeting of the newly elected board. My Alderman, Joe Heidemann, was not sworn in with the rest of the Common Council. Under Color of Law, Alderman Heidemann was deprived of voting for the council president and vice-president of the board he has served on faithfully for the last two years.
After winning another close election, and going through another recount, Joe prevailed and won again. However, last night he sat in the back of the room and had to watch his fellow council members be sworn in. Using the reason that Marcia Reinthaler had another 5 days from the recount to “appeal” it was a very poor excuse to deny Mr. Heidemann of his right to take his place and cast his vote for the new leadership.
I am a constituent of the 10th District who voted for Joe Heidemann and trust him to represent my interests and concerns regarding the city of Sheboygan matters. Last night, my vote for who would lead the council was disenfranchised by not allowing my elected official to represent me and the other 500 plus citizens of the 10th district who voted for Mr. Heidemann.
Shame on you, City Attorney Adams, Mayor Sorenson, and newly “elected” Dean Dekker. You may say you had the “rights” to do this to a fellow duly-elected council member, but morally, you were NOT “right”.
Judi Pool
10th District Constituent
City of Sheboygan