Exactly six months later, the extraordinary events of Dec. 13 continue to haunt major political players at 12th and Oak.
All Kansas Citians who deserve their city government to operate efficiently continue to be affected as well.
Remember?
At a business session of the City Council that Thursday, council member Melba Curls rose to ask that some members of the public be allowed to comment on her resolution expressing confidence in City Manager Wayne Cauthen.
Funkhouser unilaterally had tried to oust Cauthen — the city’s first black city manager — earlier in the week.
(Making matters worse, on Dec. 12 Ruth Bates, a black member of Funkhouser’s staff, had publicly stated that Funkhouser’s wife Gloria Squitiro had called Bates “Mammy.”)
Over the next 56 minutes at the business session, a steady parade of people verbally lashed Funkhouser.
Fuzzy Thompson, president of the local Southern Christian Leadership Council chapter, told Funkhouser, “The way you have acted has been an embarrassment to Kansas City.”
Gwen Grant, president of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, mocked Funkhouser’s explanation that Squitiro often added extra “e” sounds to names.
“She doesn’t call you Funk-e,” Grant told the mayor.
Bill Dietrich, executive director of the Downtown Council, urged a long-term contract extension for Cauthen, a big proponent of public subsidies for downtown businesses.
The consequences of that public testimony came quickly.
• Funkhouser’s ability to strongly lead city government came to a crashing halt.
Feeling pressure from the audience, the City Council publicly rebuked the mayor and — without a thorough discussion — hastily gave Cauthen a three-year contract extension.
The council members learned that day they could gather seven votes to get around the mayor — something that almost never occurred during the 16 years of leadership by former mayors Emanuel Cleaver and Kay Barnes.
• The City Council’s abrupt action exacerbated rifts within the council.
A suit filed by Mayor Pro Tem Bill Skaggs, challenging the council’s decision, is still pending.
• Cauthen, while certainly gaining financial success, came away wounded in his ability to get along with Funkhouser and his allies.
Cauthen’s skill at attracting permanent directors for key departments, such as water and finance, also was damaged, given the uncertainty about how long he’ll remain the top city staffer at 12th and Oak.
Since Dec. 13, Funkhouser has tried to get back on track.
The mayor has had some success meeting with minority community leaders, showing he’s serious about resolving issues that concern them.
The mayor ousted council member Ed Ford — a leader of the pro-Cauthen faction and a laggard on Funkhouser’s regional transit idea — as a committee chairman. The mayor wanted to instill at least some fear in council members who turned on him.
Still, on matters from housing to sewers to light rail, council members continue to talk among themselves for guidance rather than working with the mayor on united stands.
For instance, eight members recently demanded hundreds of millions of dollars worth of green solutions in the city’s pending sewer-repair plan. It was a significant request by the council, without input from the mayor.
And it was one more reminder of how the events of Dec. 13 still affect how business gets done (or doesn’t) at City Hall.
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