Hartford, SD (KELO AM) – A week of turmoil in Hartford was reignited on Thursday when two members of the city council resigned unexpectedly.
Ryan Bortnem and Brad Bjergaard, who served as Ward 1 representative and council vice president respectively, turned in their resignations without warning just two days after the council voted against a recall election for Mayor Bill Campbell.
Resident Tony Randall, who spearheaded the petition drive for a recall election, says the news was a dose of “shock and sadness. [I’m] shocked at those two individuals resigning their positions, and saddened at the fact that what’s been going on has brought this to the point of councilors resigning.”
Residents in Hartford presented the council with a petition calling for a recall of Campbell signed by over 280 people, more than enough to trigger the election. Councilors voted 4-3 against the recall, with chair Doyle Johnson casting two “No” votes; his own and the tiebreaking vote in Campbell’s absence.
Randall said he thinks the resignations stem from a series of moves that have left many residents in the town frustrated with the city’s government. Those include the axing of Hartford’s full-time economic development director position, (which was later reinstated following a citywide vote) as well as differing views over how the city should handle the recording and archiving of city council meetings.