Jun. 27—CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage City Council had the chance Tuesday to reconsider the unprecedented decision made at a June 16 emergency meeting to remove the entire Carthage Water and Electric Board of Directors, but the need for a two-thirds vote on the motion to reconsider ended the effort before it began.
Six council members voted "yes" and four "no" on a motion by Tiffany Cossey to reconsider the decision to remove all six board members because of what the city leaders said was the failure by that board to provide salary information the council needed to complete CW&EP's budget. But seven "yes" votes were needed to put the measure back on the table.
The debate came in front of a crowd estimated at about 375 people, which was moved to Carthage Memorial Hall because of the community outcry about the decision to remove the board. An overwhelming majority of the crowd were vocally against the council's decision to remove the board, while only one person clapped briefly when the motion to reconsider fell short.
Council members who made up the original majority 7-2 vote to remove the board were Brandi Ensor, Chris Taylor, Trudy Blankenship, David Armstrong, Ed Hardesty, Mark Elliff and Cossey. Voting against were Terri Heckmaster and Alan Snow.
Ensor, Taylor, and Cossey changed their votes in Tuesday's motion to reconsider, and council member Robin Blair, who wasn't present at the original vote, also voted in favor of reconsideration.
Voting against reconsideration were Blankenship, Armstrong, Hardesty and Elliff.
Seven people signed up in advance to speak to the council in the public comment session, and all seven spoke in favor of restoring the previous board.
In a news release issued Tuesday morning, the removed members of the CW&EP board said the city's previous statements justifying removal of the board and talking about threats among city workers were "stunning and bizarre."
The release said the CW&EP board members still consider themselves the rightful board.
"If there were, in fact, physical 'threats' by anyone, we demand any evidence of those be communicated to local law enforcement for investigation," the news release said. "Neither the board nor any CWEP staff will tolerate that if it can be proven."
Mayor Dan Rife said after the meeting that he was looking for people to serve on the CW&EP board and that the council now had the salary information it needed to move forward with the budget.