| Bob Ryan | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office April 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Juan Perez |
| Second District Alderperson for Sheboygan Common Council | |
| In office 2006–2009 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bob Ryan Sheboygan, Wisconsin |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ryan |
| Children | Ashley, Blake, and Abigail |
| Residence | Sheboygan, Wisconsin |
| Occupation | Mayor |
| Profession | Businessman, Politician |
| Website | www.ci.sheboygan.wi.us |
Bob Ryan is an American municipal politician and businessman. He serves currently as the mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, a non-partisan office.
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Ryan is married to Mary Renzelmann and has three children together; Ashley, Blake and Abigail.[1]
Prior to being elected mayor, Ryan served on the city's Common Council for three years as District Two's alderperson, and operated Ryan Oil, which operated BP service stations in the county before the sale of those stations to Quality State Oil in mid-2007[2].
On July 9, 2009, former City of Sheboygan Human Resources Director Angela Payne alleges Mayor Ryan attempts to kiss her and repeatedly looks her body up and down while the two sit together at The End Zone tavern after a dinner together at Highland House.[3] On August 6, Ryan fires Payne for what he called “unsatisfactory services.” He said the firing was the result of numerous department heads approaching him, detailing Payne’s shortcomings in a meeting and asking that she be terminated.
On September 22, 2009, a YouTube video is posted showing Ryan making drunken, sexually explicit comments about his sister-in-law. Ryan said the video was shot without his knowledge at Brennan’s tavern sometime in July. Later that week, in a press conference with his wife by his side, Ryan apologized for his statements in the video. On the following night, Jay Leno poked fun at the YouTube video scandal during a monologue on The Jay Leno Show and feature discussion later in the week [4].
On July 26, 2011, The Sheboygan Press reported Ryan had a “couple drinks” during a night out in the resort community of Elkhart Lake on July 23 that included a physical altercation with someone who confronted him for drinking.[5] The mayor denied making sexually inappropriate remarks, though witnesses said this behavior occured towards female staff at a tavern. The city council then attempted to address the matter in several forms, including expulsion of Ryan, which all did not come to approval due to conflicts between alderpersons for punishment for Ryan's behavior. The one remedy addressed was to place a new office of city administrator in charge of some city functions, which resulted in the weakening of the mayor's power over city matters.
Residents attempted to organize a February 2012 recall election due to Ryan's Elkhart Lake incident and relapse. Petition signatures were submitted on October 31, 2011 and were numerous enough to force the ballot (602 over the required number needed) [6]. City clerk Sue Richards certified most of the signatures as vaild on November 30, 2011, setting up the recall to take place on January 16, 2012, the first recall in the city's history [7]. Ryan did not appeal the decision and is automatically entered as a candidate in the election against him, with seven candidates who acquired 200 citizen signatures ending up on the ballot with him. A simple majority of over 50% of one of the candidates in the January election, including Ryan, would avert the need for a runoff election, which will be slotted with the already existing February 21 spring primary election for alderpersons and the school board.