Racine Mayor John Dickert will turnover the reigns to Common Council President Dennis Wiser at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Dickert announced in March that he planned to resign at the end of the summer to become the president and chief administrative officer of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. But he hadn’t announced a specific date until Monday morning.
The Common Council is expected to choose an interim mayor, who will serve until a special election is held. In the meantime, city ordinances outline the selection process for the interim mayor, which mandates that the Common Council name the Common Council President to the post. If appointed by the Common Council, Wiser said he will accept the position of interim mayor.
The exact date of the special election has not been determined, but City Attorney Scott Letteny outlined the pros and cons around holding the election on Nov. 7.
Dickert is proud of what he and his staff have been able to accomplish, he said in a press release.
“Crime rates are at historic lows. Our community policing efforts is a big part of that improvement. And we were able to move the unemployment from 17 percent and last place in the state down to 4.4 percent. In the economic environment we have battled through, this is a big accomplishment. And to those who are working now because of the additional jobs, it means everything.” Dickert acknowledged that these successes were a result of working together. “This level of change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. So many people and organizations worked together to make things happen.”
Dickert will replace David Ullrich, who has served in the position for 13 years and is retiring. Dickert took the position because he believes that water is the next major political and economic battleground for the country.