By Kevin Carbery
For the Leader
Pevely Mayor Stephanie Haas is still leading the city, despite an effort to impeach her Monday night during another raucous Board of Aldermen meeting.
Pevely Ward 1 Alderman Marvin Jeffers, claiming there are several good reasons to remove Haas as mayor, made a motion to impeach her, but it failed with three votes in favor and four votes against.
In addition to Jeffers, those who voted to impeach Haas were Ed Walters and Linda Hahn, both of Ward 2. Those who voted against impeaching her were Steve Markus of Ward 1, Don Menkhus of Ward 3 and Rick Arnold and Wendy Arnold, both of Ward 4.
City attorney Sean Westhoff, who also has come under fire, told the board a two-thirds vote of the eight-seat board, which includes a vacant Ward 3 seat, would be required for an impeachment. Therefore, six votes were needed for the motion’s passage.
“On the vote for impeachment, I am very disappointed,” Jeffers said Tuesday. “I felt there were a number of impeachable acts.”
Haas said Tuesday that she feels Jeffers’ motion was another example of some board members acting on personal vendettas rather than out of civic duty.
“I just think it’s very sad and embarrassing that our board members are choosing to be petty and small-minded and follow through on personal grudges instead of following through with city business,” she said.
Jeffers said one of the reasons he believes Haas should be impeached is because she has not recommended someone to fill the vacant police chief job.
Former Chief Ron Weeks retired in October 2016, and Tony Moutray was promoted to captain and put in charge of the Police Department at that time.
However, Moutray has faced criticism from Jeffers and other board members, and they held a public meeting on Jan. 22 to consider firing him. Ultimately, Moutray got to keep his job, although he was suspended for three days without pay.
Jeffers and other board members critical of Haas say the city has gone through a process to hire a new police chief, and Haas has had ample opportunity to nominate one for board approval, but refuses to do so.
In addition, Jeffers says Haas has been allowing Moutray to continue running the department against the wishes of the majority of the board.
Haas said she has not appointed a new police chief because of the rancor among board members. She also said she believes the attempts to oust Moutray are based on personal feelings, not on his job performance.
Haas repeatedly called for quiet during the meeting on Monday, not only from crowd members who commented from their seats but also from board members who bickered among themselves.
Haas said Tuesday it is not clear, even if Jeffers’ motion had passed, that it was the proper way to conduct an impeachment.
“They (board member opponents) just throw out these motions,” she said.
Jeffers made the motion to impeach during an agenda item titled “clear up some things that have happened,” which turned out to be about several legal questions Jeffers wanted to ask.
For example, Jeffers said he disagrees with Westhoff that the board needs a two-thirds majority of the full board to pass certain motions, like the one to terminate Moutray.
Westhoff said he stands by his opinion, citing case law on the topic.
On Tuesday, Jeffers said he remains skeptical of Westhoff’s position on the matter.
“It seems like every time the board wants to do something, the lawyer finds an obscure reason not to do it,” Jeffers said. “My feeling is the board should be deciding these things, not the attorney.”
By a 5-2 vote, the board approved a motion Jan. 22 to request bids for the position of city attorney. Board members who voted in favor of seeking those attorney bids were Jeffers, Hahn, Walters and the Arnolds. Those who voted against the motion were Markus and Menkhus.