Citizen calls on Independence councilman to resign over questionable travel expenses

An Independence citizen called on her city council representative to resign Monday in the wake of a media report suggesting he used public money for personal travel.

“As a resident of the 4th District of Independence, Mo., and considering ... the recent events in the news concerning taxpayer monies used for vacation by a council member, I am requesting that Tom Van Camp resign as the council person for the 4th District,” Beverly Harvey said during the citizen comment section near the close of Monday’s council meeting.

Mayor Eileen Weir pounded her gavel as Harvey left the podium. She had the city clerk remind the audience that it is against council rules to make a personal attack on city officials.

Video of Independence council meetings is available online. Harvey began her comments by criticizing the city for replacing the natural area of the Rockwood Golf Club with a solar farm.

Van Camp did not respond to Harvey and had nothing to say during the council members’ comments section at the end of the agenda.

Van Camp returned a call from The Star on Tuesday but declined to comment.

Also at Monday’s meeting, another Independence citizen, Laura Dominik, questioned the propriety and value of out-of-town trips made by elected officials without referring to Van Camp by name.

Van Camp, who represents the southwestern part of the city, was the subject of an investigative report by KSHB-TV that said he had taken 10 trips and spent more than $20,000 in public money since 2015. The station said that on at least three of those trips, it appeared the councilman was reimbursed for personal time as well as city business.

Van Camp would not talk to the TV station but he defended his actions to The Examiner. He told the newspaper that he attended energy conferences, usually traveling with a staff member of Independence Power & Light, a city-owned utility.

“These things are for networking,” Van Camp said. “I’m there to be educated, and there are people that want to talk to me.”

Van Camp said his arrangements are made to get the best travel and lodging deals possible for the city.

This story was originally published September 18, 2018 at 1:10 PM.