The people of Jackson County deserve a say in who replaces Frank White Jr. | Opinion

The recall of Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. presents a striking choice for the Jackson County legislators deciding his replacement. They have an opportunity to demonstrate transparency and accountability to those that elected them. Or they could choose to go down a pathway of abuse of power and political self-interest. Currently, it’s looking like they are choosing the latter.

The Jackson County executive is a publicly-elected position, but in the instance of a recall or vacancy, the Legislature’s chair leads the body in a process to nominate and appoint a replacement to serve the rest of the term. Once a candidate is nominated, he or she needs five of nine legislators’ votes to be appointed officially.

The Beacon reported that Legislature Chair DaRon McGee, attorney Phil LeVota, and former Jackson County Legislator Dan Tarwater are the top three names being floated to replace White.

McGee being a top contender should sound conflict of interest alarm bells, given his responsibility in appointing White’s replacement. McGee has indicated he doesn’t see voting for oneself to be a problem, even when that vote is the one that tips the majority. It’s worth noting that White was in a position to vote for himself for his appointment into the executive role in 2016, and chose to abstain from the vote. Luckily for McGee, it sounds as if he would have a clear conscience about giving himself a salary increase of more than 300%. Convenient, given that he gets to decide the process that could very well result with him getting a new title, more power and a pay raise. On top of that, McGee has also said he doesn’t see the need for members of the public to be involved, and they should just trust him and his colleagues to decide what’s best.

Frankly, I’m having a hard time trusting a man who has a six-figure self-interest in winning this role and is actively making the choice to exclude the public from having a say in it.

The people deserve a voice, as this is typically an elected position. Within this legislative body, there is precedent to undertake a more transparent and public-facing process in replacing an elected official. In 2011 and 2018, publicly-elected officials vacated their roles and were replaced in appointment processes that included independent nominating committees, town halls and public candidate interviews. That’s what I’d like to see now.

As the decision-maker, McGee is choosing to shut out the public because it benefits him.

Not only that, he has a history of allegedly abusing his power in the form of sexual harassment in the workplace, and obstruction of that harassment investigation when he held a role in the Missouri House. Appointing himself without public input is also an abuse of power.

I am an organizer with Sunrise Movement KC. In our climate advocacy work, we closely follow the decisions of our local government, as we know how impactful they are on our transit systems, public infrastructure and daily living. Frank White Jr. was an unpopular county executive who mishandled much under his leadership and probably deserved to be recalled. It’s also likely that the recall efforts were a result of money and power having their way in politics once again, in the form of rich stadium supporters working to oust him. If so, it is not in the people’s best interests for White to be replaced by more self-interested, money-motivated leaders who don’t care about what the people want.

In this next month, the Jackson County Legislature must seek the opinion of the people who put them in office. One short public meeting was held last weekend. Elected officials should continue to listen to their constituents.

I’d like to see county executive nominees that don’t have a history of abuse, that aren’t simply seeking money and power, and that the people approve of. I’m not alone. Earlier this week, the Urban Summit released an open letter demanding a transparent, ethical and inclusive process for selecting the county executive appointee, calling for moral courage over political convenience and ambition.

If I were in the Jackson County Legislature, I would be seriously considering how to move forward in appointing a new county executive and what my choices signal to my constituents. Will that message be opportunism — or integrity?

Brooke Bowlin is co-lead of communications at Sunrise Movement KC, a cross-class, multiracial movement of young people fighting for climate justice and collective liberation.