St. Francis mayor facing 2nd attempt at ouster
Some say concerns of plant go unaddressed
ST. FRANCIS – Mayor CoryAnn St. Marie-Carls is facing an effort to oust her from office for the second time in as many years, in part because some residents say she has not addressed their concerns surrounding an industrial barrel reconditioning plant they say is a smelly, public health nuisance.
Brittany Spoke, 29, a St. Francis resident for three years, started a petition to recall St. Marie-Carls. Spoke has filled out formal paperwork and has recall yard signs prepared.
Ald. Ken Tutaj said he supports the recall due to many of the issues listed on the petition, which he said were “kind of embarrassing.”
He said many residents feel they have been lied to by the mayor because she didn’t do anything for a long time about the Mid-America Steel Drum company, which is currently under investigation for environmental and workplace violations.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation, published in February, revealed risks to workers and residents living near the plant on S. Pennsylvania Ave., along with sister plants in Milwaukee and Oak Creek.
At least five government agencies are investigating the facility and more than four dozen violations have been levied against the company, which is contesting them.
Three residents have filed a class-action lawsuit, saying the plant belches putrid odors over the nearby neighborhood, forcing people to stay indoors. Several residents say city officials, St. Marie-Carls in particular, have been unresponsive to their concerns, claiming concern about the plant is not a city issue.
St. Marie-Carls, who could not be reached for comment, issued a news release vowing to be responsive to residents regarding developments with the plant.
After months of what residents called stonewalling, the matter was discussed at a council meeting Tuesday, where it was disclosed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found violations at the plants.
Spoke said she started working on the petition after she attended a Common Council meeting Oct. 3 to confirm rumors about the mayor; she said she witnessed “unprofessional, rude behavior by the mayor.”
“St. Francis deserves better,” Spoke wrote in a post on the popular St. Francis Town Hall Facebook page. At last check, the post had 42 reactions split between “likes” and “loves.”
St. Marie-Carls faced a similar situation in 2016 after four years as mayor, but that challenge came from the Common Council, not a resident.
As reported by the Journal Sentinel at the time, council members were calling for her resignation for many reasons, including a dispute over whether the mayor should have a key to the police department, as well as concerns about confrontations with staff.
The council ended up issuing a “no confidence” vote.
For the petition to be successful and lead to a recall election, 1,154 signatures are required, according to Tutaj.