COLUMBIA – A Columbia man says he filed an election violation complaint against several city council members on Tuesday for comments made at a recent meeting.
According to Hold CoMo Accountable founder Anthony Willroth, multiple council members, including Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, Rachel Proffitt, Nick Foster, Donald Waterman and Betsy Peters, made statements supporting councilman Nick Knoth during a meeting on Jan. 16.
Knoth, who serves as the First Ward councilman, faces a special election in April following a petition of ward residents calling for his removal.
The petition alleges Knoth’s new position as a lobbyist for Missouri Board of REALTORS poses a conflict of interest with his duties on the council.
According to previous KOMU 8 reporting, 370 First Ward voters signed the petition. Knoth stated that his responsibilities under his new position will not hinder his duties as a member of the council.
According to Willroth, the members listed above made statements during the council’s vote to decide if it would put the recall election of Knoth on the April 2 ballot. The vote passed unanimously, as members made the following comments during the meeting:
“I guess we’ll see what folks say in April, although I hope that they retain you for another couple of years at least,” Betsy Peters said.
“I disagree with the recall,” Don Waterman said. “We’ll go forward with the vote and I fully expect and anticipate that your position on the council will be affirmed.”
“I also will follow process and begrudgingly vote yes,” Rachel Proffitt said.
“This is our opportunity to respond back [to questions about the recall],” Mayor Barbara Buffaloe said. “I know you’re working right now in St. Louis and you drive back from St. Louis for this meeting and are driving back to St. Louis tonight, so I appreciate your dedication.”
“I’ll vote for this because I have to,” said Nick Foster.
Willroth cited Missouri State Statute 115.646, which states that “no contribution or expenditure of public funds shall be made directly by any officer, employee or agent of any political subdivision to advocate, support, or oppose any ballot measure or candidate for public office.”
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Willroth argues that council members violated this statue at the meeting on Jan. 16.
“When I saw city council making comments for or against the recall election of Nick Knoth while they were, presumably just certifying a call for an election, that struck me as odd because you almost never see public officials make endorsements while they’re serving in their official duties,” Willroth said.
Willroth said state statutes like this one help protect taxpayers interests.
“City council meetings do take an awful lot of taxpayer money to put on,” Willroth said. “City Council members do get paid a stipend. When they’re working, they shouldn’t be using that tax money to facilitate speech to influence an election.”
Although Willroth was watching the Jan. 16 city council meeting online, he said he tries to go to most meetings in person.
“I’ve just kind of fallen into this whole thing of playing a watchdog role because I just happened to see an awful lot of things happening, with this being the most egregious I think I’ve ever seen,” Willroth said.
Although he disagreed with the council making comments during the meeting, he acknowledged their right to have an opinion outside of government-sponsored events.
“If they want to say all of that stuff on their own time, with their own private resources, they’re more than welcome to,” Willroth said. “People make endorsements on their own private time all the time.”
According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, once a complaint has been filed, the commission notifies the complainant within five days if the issue will be investigated.
From there, if a complaint is being further investigated, the group assigns an investigator to that case.
KOMU 8 reached out to the city clerk and several city council members and is waiting to hear back. Councilman Waterman said he had no further comment.