By Dennis Volkert
At Sturgis City Commission’s meeting on April 22, the board was presented with a resolution to censure mayor Frank Perez, along with a separate request for his removal as mayor.
The proposals were submitted by vice mayor Jeff Mullins, who represents the city’s first precinct.
Neither motion was approved, deadlocked at a 4-4 vote. Commissioner Marvin Smith was absent from the meeting.
A roll-call vote was conducted for each. Commissioners’ choices were consistent in both cases.
Yes: Daniel Boring, Aaron Miller, Mullins and Justin Wickey.
No: Cathi Abbs, Richard Bir, Linda Harrington and Perez.
The proposals were presented at the end of the meeting, during the segment devoted to commissioner and staff comments.
“The city commission has a right to enforce its rules and expect ethical and honorable conduct from its members,” Mullins said at the meeting. “Since he became a commissioner, mayor Perez has repeatedly been at odds with commission rules, regulations, policies and laws. I’ve thought long and hard trying to figure out a way to extend grace, I’ve tried to figure out if this is just inadvertent or whether it is intentional.”
Mullins did not reveal specifics regarding any accusation of misconduct. He said he had one-on-one conversations with Perez recently.
A partial summary of the resolution for censure presented by Mullins noted “explicit duty” of officials to act in the public’s interest, respect the process to require good governance, and claiming Perez has “repeatedly” ignored reminders by legal counsel of what is proper conduct by a commissioner.
At one point in discussion, Miller directed what he called a “theoretical” question to Perez.
“If what you believed was right conflicted with Michigan law, would you follow what is right in your own opinion?”
“At the end of the day, doing the right thing is the unpopular thing,” Perez responded.
Later, Miller commented on Perez’s response, without elaboration.
“What the answer should be: what is spelled Michigan law, United States Constitution, federal law, city charter, procedure and policy is what is right. That should be the answer. And I’ve heard all I need to hear.”
After the votes, prior to adjournment of the meeting, Perez provided a final comment.
“When you don’t have goals and objectives, you don’t have a process to do certain things, and you don’t have clear direction as to where we want to head, and lack of accountability, I can see how some things have come up to the point we are today,” Perez told commissioners. “There is an opportunity for change, a lot of things we can do. A lot of things we can start planning, so we can all do better … At times, doing what has to be done, I’m sure it’s not popular, it’s probably uncomfortable, (but) we can’t continue to turn a blind eye.”
Perez, who represents Precinct 4, was appointed by the commission as mayor in 2023, and was reappointed in 2025.
