By Eyobong Ita
The Kansas City Star
March 28, 2001
(Peculiar, MO) - Despite its earlier promise, the Peculiar Board of Aldermen declined Monday in a special meeting to offer Police Chief Gary Ellis a contract.
That decision capped a day that started with the resignation of Alderwoman Melissa Darby, who earlier this month replaced Minnie Allman.
Allman, citing her husband’s ill health, resigned Feb. 20.
Darby, one of three write-in candidates for the West Ward seat in Tuesday’s elections, said she resigned because some residents were harrassing her about the police chief’s contract issue in a way that affected her family.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into - the political fire burning in this town,” Darby said Tuesday. “I thought I was doing a good civic duty because I really love Peculiar and thought that I could help, but I just couldn’t take the harassment anymore.”
The decision on Ellis continued months of contention in the community.
Opponents of the contract launched a telephone campaign last weekend, asking aldermen to vote no. Many also spoke Monday against awarding the contract.
Darby said she received as many as 50 calls from residents in a two-day span, all voicing their opposition to the contract.
“About 25 of the people were very hostile,” she said. “I have a 2-year-old boy and visiting family members who didn’t deserve that, so I took my phone off the hook. When they couldn’t reach me on the phone, they started coming to my house to bang on the door.”
Darby resigned before the board voted against giving Ellis the contract.
“I’m pleased with the outcome,” said Rex Penrose, a candidate for the West Ward seat held by Byron Payne.
Former Alderman Mike Sanders said the board did the right thing.
“I think it’s great because he doesn’t need a contract,” Sanders said.
The requested contract had been linked to another contentious issue, the city administrator’s position. Late last year Ellis agreed to the dual position of police chief and interim city administrator - without extra pay. At that time the board agreed to grant him a three-year contract for his role as chief.
Sanders and Alderman Jeff Stroup resigned, protesting a possible conflict of interest with Ellis in a dual capacity. Ellis relinquished the interim position Dec. 20 but continued as police chief.
Since then, Peculiar has remained without an administrator, and City Clerk Nora Dodge has handled the city’s day-to-day business.
At Monday’s special meeting, three of five aldermen - Gene Thrailkill, Dan Brantley and Don King - opposed the contract. Payne supported it. Alderman Jason Gehrs said he favored the contract earlier but was undecided after an executive session that preceded the special meeting.
“Many months ago, when we asked the chief to assume a temporary position as administrator, we agreed that we were going to give him a three-year contract,” Payne said, “so I feel legally, ethically, morally we should have honored that.”
He said the board betrayed Ellis by reversing its decision.
Thrailkill disagreed.
“There was a discussion to that effect, but since that time there has been a lot of water under the bridge that caused me to change my mind,” Thrailkill said. “As far as an actual contract with details, it was never voted for.”
Ellis said that despite the board’s reversal, he planned to continue to serve because he enjoyed his job and cared about the city.
“When the council asked me to become interim administrator I turned them down many times, but they unanimously voted to give me the contract as a protection for my job,” he said Tuesday. “I didn’t ask for any severance package, but this isn’t just about me, this is about two small children and my wife.”
Mayor Sally O’Connor said board members did a lot of soul-searching on the issue.
“I think they also looked at the aspects of representing their wards and they did what they felt was best for the city,” O’Connor said.
Copyright 2000 LEXIS-NEXIS, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved.