The rest of their article is located
here.
[Update: Apparently, they've moved it. Unless they move it again, it's
here.]
If Thayer's mayor Allen Deckard is going to attempt to undermine the will of the voters, the voters need to know about it.
I have an email in to the Missouri Municipal League with some questions the SMN should have asked about the matter but didn't. Here is the text of that email:
Question about Missouri 4th-class cities.
Here in Thayer, we have a situation. The mayor has asked three city
council members to resign and I have a few questions about this.
1. Does he have the authority to ask elected councilmen to resign?
2. Is there a procedure by which he could have them removed from the council if they refuse?
3. If they resign, that would leave the mayor himself and one councilman on the council, which is 2/5 of the full council. Can the council conduct business without a quorum?
4. If they resign, does the mayor then get to appoint his own choices to the
council? Isn't that a conflict of interest?
Thank you in advance for your help on this matter.
Regards,
John
Hutchison
This is word for word:
Ozark Radio News has learned through sources Thayer mayor Allen Deckard
allegedly requested the resignation of city council members Buddy Rogers, Steve
Alford and Mike Harber during closed session of their city council meeting last
week. The request was allegedly based on accusations they were meeting
together outside the official meeting.
When contacted by Ozark Radio News, the mayor said he could not talk
without first talking to his attorney.
We'll continue to keep you updated on that story as more information
becomes available.
Nothing up yet on their online newscast (middle of page
here).
It is interesting to note that it's "sources" (plural), not "source" (singular).
In closed session Tuesday (Nov. 14) night, Thayer Mayor Allen Deckard requested the resignations of city council members Buddy Rogers, Steve Alford, and Mike Harber on the basis of accusations they were "soliciting votes" and meeting together outside the official meetings.
Although if that's the case, the Mayor and the other city council member, Bob Grimes, should also resign also because I have witnessed the two of them, City Employee Gary Barton and until recently Buddy Rogers all meeting together before the city council meetings.
Had the three resigned, the mayor would then get to appoint whomever he wanted to fill their seats.
The three got legal counsel and information from the Missouri Municipal League and refused to resign. As elected officials, they are responsible to their constituents and not to the Mayor.
