Three Sturgis candidates suing the city

Two candidates for Sturgis city council and a candidate for Sturgis mayor are suing the city and Sturgis city manager Daniel Ainslie. Mayoral candidate Tammy Bohn and council candidates Justin Bonn and Brenda Vasknetz filed the suit, claiming the 2007 vote to change to a city manager form of government wasn’t valid. They say that means Ainslie is not legally the city manager, a job he’s held since 2011.

The suit claims the office of city manager could not be created by the law used for the vote because city manager is not a form of government. The suit also demands that Daniel Ainslie pay back all of the salary and benefits he’s been paid over the past ten and a half years. In a statement, the City of Sturgis says the lawsuit is “trying to “undo the will of the people.” The statement also says, “Their action threatens to damage the City’s relationship with employees, creditors and Rally sponsors. The City will vigorously resist the lawsuit and defend the best interests of the citizens of Sturgis.”