Lee’s Summit City Council member resigns, blasting colleagues on the way out
Lee’s Summit City Council member Cynda Rader resigned from her seat Wednesday and blasted her former colleagues, saying she felt she was not being respected on City Council.
“Throughout my time on the Council, I have worked to ensure that residents’ concerns were heard and thoughtfully considered,” Rader said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I have increasingly felt that my perspective, and the perspectives of many of the citizens I represent, have not been given the respect or consideration necessary to foster sound, collaborative decision-making. That realization has led me to conclude that I can no longer serve effectively in this role.”
Mayor Beto Lopez bested Rader in the April general election contest for the mayor’s office, as he claimed 56% of votes cast to Rader’s 44%. Rader continued to serve her term on City Council until Wednesday.
Rader said remaining on council would mean sharing responsibility for outcomes that she could not fully support.
“This is certainly not the outcome that I expected or hoped for when I embarked on this path and for that I am deeply sorry!” she wrote.
Lopez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Star Friday.
City officials quietly acknowledged Rader’s resignation in a brief statement posted to the city website, saying that Rader had submitted her resignation and that the City Council would appoint someone to fill the vacancy until the next election.
In the city statement, Lopez said, “We thank Councilmember Rader for her service to the residents of Lee’s Summit.”
