UPDATE (2/3/23): The mayor of Waynesville was removed from office Monday night after he was found guilty of one of four articles of impeachment.
Mayor Pro Tem Sean Wilson said this morning the mayor is out of the office
“The mayor was acquitted of Articles 1, 3, and 4, but was found guilty of Article 2 for misfeasance and/or nonfeasance in office,” Wilson said.
The articles were centered around allegations that Brown created a threatening and abusive workplace, opening private investigations into city workers and trying to hire people for jobs they didn’t apply for.
Original Story
WAYNESVILLE, Mo. — After several delays, an impeachment trial for Waynesville Mayor Jerry Brown began Thursday night.
Attorneys for the city previously told KOLR10, there were four articles of impeachment.
The articles were centered around allegations that Brown created a threatening and abusive workplace, opening private investigations into city workers and trying to hire people for jobs they didn’t apply for.
The city council initially approved the motion to start the impeachment process in August of 2022.
Before the hearing officially began, attorneys for Brown and the city argued over a motion that if granted would have excluded Councilman Cecil Davis from being a part of the trial.
Brown’s lawyer, Christopher Thornton, said Davis could have a bias towards Brown.
“I have denied the motion,” Councilman Sean Wilson told the room. “I have signed an order and asked that my order be made a part of the record. We will now move forward for the hearing. Madam clerk, call the roll.”
Both lawyers made their opening statements before attorneys for the city began calling witnesses.
Witnesses included Miriam Jones who testified about incidents centered around Brown and his city-issued cell phone.
Jones told the room in one instance, Brown tossed his phone at her and demanded it be fixed. She says she took it to a cell phone store, and nothing was wrong with it.
Jones also says there were days she would dread coming into work, but the behavior displayed by Brown wasn’t abusive, but rather abrasive.
“I felt that it was unprofessional,” Jones said. “It kind of put me in a position where I wasn’t comfortable. I didn’t understand why he had come in like that.”
KOLR10 caught up with Thornton to talk about why he felt many of the complaints didn’t warrant an impeachment trial.
“If you look at the things [Mayor Brown] is accused of — even if he were guilty of all those things that they’ve said — they don’t rise to the level of an impeachable offense,” Thornton said. “They rise to the level of rude and maybe disrespectful behavior for which he is rightfully admonished.”
Thornton said that if an elected official can be removed for behavior that he says was corrected after censure from the city council, it’s a shot at the will of the people who elected Brown and isn’t good for any democracy.
