The Oronoco City Council voted 3-2 to fire City Administrator Sunny Bjorklund Schultz this week after a personnel committee report brought forth a negative performance review.
Oronoco City Council publicly fires city administrator; council member resigns in protest
The City Council voted 3-2 to remove Sunny Bjorklund Schultz a little more than a year after she was hired.
October 19, 2023 at 8:57PM
Council members Jim Phillips, Jim Richards and Carl Krause voted to let Bjorklund Schultz go while Mayor Ryland Eichhorst and Council member Dana Bergner opposed the motion. Bergner has since resigned from the council, citing concerns over how the council operates and the administrator's removal.
Richards and Phillips, who make up the council's personnel committee, said Bjorklund Schultz wasn't always available to residents during the workday and there were complaints from residents and staff regarding the administrator's behavior.
Schultz was hired in fall 2022 as the city's first administrator. She pointed out at the meeting she works long hours outside of a regular workday and her duties are different from a city clerk, which previously headed up the city's office. She also took issue with a lack of documentation in the review.
Eichhorst disagreed with the performance evaluation during the meeting, calling the council's decision "shortsighted." He warned Bjorklund Schultz's abrupt firing will impact city operations and future projects.
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