Jackson County mayor, accused of threatening alderman with a gun, ousted by impeachment
The mayor of suburban Greenwood, accused of threatening an alderman with a gun during an argument last year, was forcibly removed from office Tuesday based on the findings of an impeachment inquiry.
The city’s Board of Aldermen, in a 3-0 vote, stripped Mayor Levi Weaver of his title and accepted articles of impeachment following a trial that ended last week. In addition to the threat, city officials accepted as fact that the mayor inappropriately blocked residents from the city’s Facebook page and directed city staff to skirt rules on licensing certain businesses.
Weaver was first appointed as the top elected official for the Jackson County town, home to 6,000 residents, in 2016, and his current elected term was to last through April 2024. He faced pressure from fellow officials to step down in June as the city’s board decided to move forward with the impeachment based on an investigation led by a private attorney.
The alleged threat happened outside the home of Alderman Kyron McClure in March 2022. Weaver was accused of driving to McClure’s house, after drinking, and yelling at the alderman while brandishing a firearm.
The mayor allegedly said “I could (expletive) end you” during the heated exchange, a statement Weaver testified that he did not recall making.
During thetwo-hour impeachment hearing Sept. 18, lawyers for the city and Weaver presented arguments and called witnesses.
Among those testifying was a neighbor who said Weaver was clearly acting in a threatening manner, using foul language and putting his hand on his holstered weapon.
Weaver also testified to the event in his own defense, saying there had been an ongoing argument with McClure and was particularly “upset” when he learned McClure had contacted his son. That happened as Weaver was in the midst of a “nasty” custody dispute, the mayor said.
Weaver denied making threats against McClure, arguing in part that there had been no criminal charges filed against him after the incident. He also downplayed bringing a gun there, saying he is “always armed.”
Under the city’s charter, duties of the mayor pass to the president of the board in cases of vacancy. McClure is currently the acting president.
