The Star’s recommendation on Jackson County Executive Frank White recall | Opinion

On Sept. 30, Jackson County voters will decide whether County Executive Frank White should be recalled and removed from office.

We think the answer should be no.

This may come as a surprise to some voters. We have been highly critical of White’s actions as county executive. Indeed, in the 2022 general election, we endorsed his Republican opponent.

We said then, and still believe, that the county executive’s job is essential across a range of issues. And, as we predicted in 2022, White has repeatedly fallen far short of voters’ expectations. In fact, it’s hard to think of any significant way White has made the county a better place to live during his time in office.

But recall is a bigger issue than just one person’s political decisions. Recalling a duly-elected public official should be reserved for the most egregious behavior: proven illegality, gross negligence, malfeasance in office. In politics, recall (and its cousin, impeachment) are the ultimate punishments.

Frank White has done a lot of things wrong, but nothing that rises to the level of premature removal from office. Voters should vote no on the recall question.

To be clear: White has been a poor county executive. He deserves at least some of the blame for the botched negotiations with the region’s two professional sports franchises, which could still lead to their relocation in Kansas.

The new county jail should have been finished a long time ago. White, to his discredit, repeatedly dismissed complaints about the aging downtown jail, despite ample evidence of its substandard operation.

The county executive engaged in a fruitless argument over federal COVID-19 relief funds that threatened programs across the county. His inability to work with all members of the Legislature has been an issue for years.

Much of Jackson County is still howling about a haphazard property assessment process, which White failed to fix. And instead of working with legislators in the county and in Jefferson City to address legitimate concerns, White has stubbornly refused to accept responsibility for the problem.

But voters should also be fair-minded. High property appraisals are a problem across the region, not just in Jackson County. White is facing political blowback in part because of housing inflation, not because of maladministration.

And does anyone think the property appraisal problem will be fixed quickly if White is removed from office? No, and here’s why: We don’t know who the next county executive would be.

Under the charter, the Legislature is tasked with picking a replacement for a recalled county executive. Recalling White, as he pointed out in a Star guest commentary, will almost certainly prompt a vicious battle for the seat, which could mean long delays in addressing a range of problems at the courthouse.

Voters casting ballots in favor of recall are blind to this fact: The next occupant of the executive’s office could be worse.

We’re aware that tens of thousands of voters signed petitions asking for a recall vote, which indicates significant dissatisfaction with White’s tenure. But we also believe that well-financed lobbying groups should not be allowed to dictate operations in Jackson County, or pick an executive without voter approval.

If the White recall is successful, the next occupant of the office will be under a constant threat of premature removal. That isn’t the way to run a government of the people.

In this democracy, there’s a way to get rid of an unpopular office-holder: by voting for his or her opponent at the next election. That way, voters can make a choice among specific candidates offering different visions for the county, instead of kicking one out the door and hoping the next person does better.

White has said he won’t run again if he remains in office. He’s wobbled on that commitment, but voters should and must hold him to it. The sad Frank White era at the county courthouse should come to an end, but it should end on its regular schedule, at the end of next year.

Voters should vote no on Sept. 30.