JENNINGS, Mo. — The embattled Mayor Gary Johnson received a show of support at a Jennings City Council meeting Monday. Some councilmembers have accused Johnson of abusing his power, and Johnson said the accusations are unfounded.
Because only three councilmembers showed up for the meeting on Monday, they were not able to vote on important agenda items like funding neighborhood improvements.
It comes after five councilmembers circulated a letter last week saying they were planning to take a vote of no confidence in the mayor, claiming he's causing employees to step down due to an alleged hostile work environment.
There was a different tone at the packed council meeting. Everyone who spoke out during public comment gave Mayor Johnson a vote of full confidence.
"I feel like some of the things that have occurred are personal feelings that different people have for the Mayor. He won fair and square. Let's move on, council members. I'm asking you to stop the tick-for-the-tack allegations. You’re embarrassing this great city of Jennings," State Rep. Yolanda Fountain-Henderson said.
"I've been here 40 years. and the two (mayors) before you, I've never seen anything like you're doing for the city, never before,” another resident said.
"You continue on because you’re going to go through persecution. You’re going to go through persecution when you’re doing good. Continue on,” another chimed in.
The support comes after a recent, contentious, and controversial emergency meeting last week where leaders tried to reverse decisions the Mayor recommended the week before, including terminations and accepting resignations of city leaders. The mayor said that the emergency meeting was not authorized because he didn’t call it.
5 On Your Side reached out to one of the absent council members who sent a reporter the sent the letter requesting a no-confidence vote but has not heard back.
“They stay in the news but they can’t come and face the residents,” Johnson said to the crowd.
Johnson said he has made himself available and will reach out to those absent councilmembers to try to move the city forward.
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