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Residents ask council to denounce political ‘weaponization’ after mayor pro tem circulated petition; mayor defends response
Summary
Two residents criticized Mayor Pro Tem Steven Speer for using his office to call for a school board member's resignation; Mayor Spahn defended Speer and called for a ceasefire, saying Speer's actions were taken as a private citizen and noting the school board president had previously requested resignation.
During the public-comment period at the Feb. 3 Excelsior Springs City Council meeting, resident Sean Amal urged the council to address what he described as Mayor Pro Tem Steven Speer’s use of his office to seek the removal of an elected school board member, and to reassure residents that the city would not be “weaponized for political reasons.” Kevin Morgan, another resident, said the petition and related social-media posts had “sent a chill to people” and asked the council to publicly assure the community it would not use city office for partisan ends.
Amal, who identified himself as living at 1400 South Marietta Street in Excelsior Springs, told the council he objected to “Mr. Speer’s use of his office of mayor pro tem … to oust a duly elected official of the Excelsior Springs School Board.” Amal read aloud a post he said had been shared on a social-media page and said the post misrepresented remarks by the school board member.
Kevin Morgan, of 526 Isley Boulevard, said the episode had harmed the city’s reputation for inclusiveness and asked the council to make a statement that it would not be used as a political weapon.
Later in the meeting, Mayor Spahn delivered an extended statement asking the community to “ceasefire” on the dispute and defending Speer’s response. Spahn said Speer “responded to the public comments made by Mr. Snelling in accordance with the outrage expressed by many in our community” and that Speer’s circulation of a petition and media comments were not “conducted as formal actions of his role as a city council member, nor were they sanctioned by any official decision of this council.” The mayor said School Board President Trey Harkins had already requested the school board member’s resignation and referenced coverage in the local paper, the Excelsior Springs Standard.
The public comments were made during the council’s open public-comment period; the transcript records no formal council action in direct response to the complaints other than the mayor’s later motion to close the meeting under RSMo 610.021.1 and 610.021.12, which passed by roll call. The council did not issue a formal statement about the petition or take disciplinary action during the meeting.
The speakers raised concerns about social-media amplification, the accuracy of quoted material and the potential chilling effect on civic participation. The transcript shows residents asked for a public assurance that the council would not use city office for partisan retaliation; the council did not provide a formal, voted statement on that request during this session.
