November 24, 2021 at 11:05 a.m.

Former alderman announces intent to run for mayor

Former alderman announces intent to run for mayor
Former alderman announces intent to run for mayor

By Heather [email protected]

Former alderman Steve Sauer has announced plans to run for mayor of the City of Rhinelander this spring.

Sauer, who held the District 7 aldermanic seat from 2012 to 2020, made his intentions known during the public comment portion of the city council's Nov. 22 meeting.

He began by praising the outgoing mayor, Chris Frederickson, who has filed a notice of non-candidacy for the upcoming spring election, and alderman Andrew Larson, who has also decided not to seek another term.

Sauer served alongside both men from 2018 to 2020.

"I would first like to start out by thanking Mayor Frederickson and alderman Andrew Larson for the time that they've served, they are the only two thus far that I know have filed non-candidacy papers," he said. "I really want to let them know the four years that you spent here, though the first two might have been rough, the first 18 months really rough, whether they were real battles or with fake Facebook accounts or whatever it may be, you've made a difference in the city and the residents really appreciate it. So I want to take a moment to thank you gentlemen for that. With that being said, I'm going to take this opportunity to announce my intent to run for mayor this spring. I believe that the city is headed in a great direction and I think I can help move it forward. And, as much as I have many concerns about this choice, my wife is behind me, amazingly, and I think that we can do good things moving forward."

While he has been out of office since the spring of 2020, Sauer is a defendant in a pending federal wrongful termination lawsuit related to his service as an alderperson. Frederickson and Larson are also defendants in the lawsuit, filed by former public works director Tim Kingman.

Aldermen Ryan Rossing (District 8) and David Holt (District 6), both of whom are also up for re-election in the spring of 2022, are also defendants in the case. As of press time, neither man has indicated whether he intends to run for a second term or join Larson and Frederickson in filing non-candidacy papers.

Alderman Tom Kelly, who represents District 4, is the only incumbent alderman up for re-election in 2022 who is not a defendant in the lawsuit.

Kingman filed the lawsuit in 2019 alleging he was discharged by the defendants in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights in presenting to the City Council with a "Declaration of No Confidence" in former city administrator Daniel Guild, who is also a defendant in the suit, and for filing a complaint with the state alleging age discrimination.

He is requesting lost wages and benefits as well as both compensatory and punitive damages.

On July 1, the defendants filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that all of Kingman's claims fail as a matter of law and thus the case must be dismissed.

A ruling on that motion is expected at any time. Should the case survive summary judgment, a trial is scheduled for January 2022.

The first day to circulate nomination papers for mayor or alderperson is December 1, 2021, and the final day for filing nomination papers is 5 p.m., Tuesday, January 4, 2022, in the office of the city clerk.

The mayoral term and aldermanic terms begin on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 and last for four years. Information concerning aldermanic district boundaries can be obtained from City Clerk Theresa Lassig at City Hall.

If a primary is necessary, that election will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.

The full council meeting, including Sauer's statement, is available to view at www.hodagtv.com.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].

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