STURGIS – After two resignations from the Sturgis City Council and the resignation of the mayor, the council voted unanimously Monday to set a special election to fill all three positions.

Council member Don Lanpher, who represents Ward 3 in Sturgis, resigned on Friday, Oct. 18. Sturgis Mayor Angela Wilkerson and Council member Mike Bachand resigned on Monday, Oct. 21.

The council determined that although appointing someone to the positions was an option, they believed giving citizens an opportunity to vote for their representatives to the council was a better option.

“Given the recent history of the appointments and how it has went, I don’t want to be in that position,” said council member Jesse Blakeman.

When then mayor Mark Carstensen resigned in February of 2024, the city did not have an ordinance that provided for a special election to fill the mayor’s post. Their only option was to have people apply for the position of mayor and then have the council choose one of those individuals.

But since then, the council has passed an ordinance which allows them to set a special election given a vacancy in the office of mayor.

The unexpired terms for these seats, which members just resigned, will be only approximately four months. Normal terms are three years.  All three of the positions will be on the ballot at the April 8 regular municipal election.

Individuals interested in running for any of the offices can pick up nominating petitions at the City Finance Office. Each candidate must gather 50 signatures to be placed on the ballot for the Jan. 7 election. Nominating petitions for these offices will be due by 5 p.m., Nov. 21 at the Sturgis Finance Office.

In the interim, under South Dakota law, when a mayor resigns, the city council president steps into the role of mayor. In this case, it is Kevin Forrester. He will serve until the special election.

Here is what state law and the city’s ordinance says about that: “The governing body of any municipality may, by ordinance enacted prior to the vacancy, require that any vacancy on the governing body or in the office of the mayor is to be filled by a special election called for that purpose to be conducted as provided in § 9-13-14 and this section…”

If a vacancy is to be filled by special election, the finance officer must publish a notice in the official newspaper of the municipality stating that a vacancy exists, that the vacancy will be filled by special election, the date of the election, and the time and place where nominating petitions may be filed for the office.

In the case of Carstensen, the council voted to allow any resident to submit an application for the position of mayor. Applicants had a council interview on March 4. The council voted 5-3 to appoint Angela Wilkerson as mayor.