(STURGIS) - A former City of Sturgis employee has issued a statement about the investigation into the City.
In the statement, released to Swick Broadcasting, Sonia Burkhead says she served as the Human Resources Manager/Director for Sturgis for approximately 20 months. During her employment, she says she personally experienced, observed an became aware of financial, legal and compliance concerns, as well as employment actions that raised serious ethical questions.
Burkhead says she initially attempted to address these matters directly with City Manager Andrew Kul. After several months without meaningful resolution, she reported her concerns to four of the nine City Commissioners on March 24.
On April 2, Burkhead says City Attorney T.J. Reed contacted her, saying her concerns were being taken seriously and that he would engage an independent third-party investigator to examine the matters she had raised.
After six weeks without any indication that an investigation had begun, Burkhead says she contacted Reed again on May 15, but was not provided with a substantive explanation for the delay.
Burkhead says as time passed without meaningful progress, it made it increasingly difficult for her to fulfil her responsibilities so on May 28 she submitted her resignation. Shortly after that, Burkhead says she learned during a City Commission meeting that an investigation would proceed.
Burkhead was contacted and interviewed by the investigators, but she says they did not explore the substance of the concerns she raised. It focused instead on how she raised her concerns, including her meeting with the members of the City Commission.
Burkhead says she has reviewed the report issued following the investigation and remains concerned that the emphasis shifted from the substance of the concerns she raised to the process by which she reported them.
Swick Broadcasting has reached out to the City of Sturgis to see if they have any comments on Burkhead's statement.
To read Burkhead's statement, click on the following link: https://www.wbetfm.com/cityofsturgis-101626.pdf