LeVota Lawsuit Demands Jackson County Exec Recall Election

And so the saga continues . . .

Today's update: 

LEVOTA LEGAL POWER MOVE ORDERS JACKSON COUNTY EXEC RECALL!!! 

The good and bad . . .

It's a legit compliant given that there's a very real chance that the Exec and his team could delay the election until kingdom come . . .

However . . .

The longtime Eastern Jack power broker flex SORTA takes away from the grassroots "ethos" of the movement and might evoke a by to cynicism of longtime voters who now know all the players involved.

Here are the basics & more reporting . . .  

On Wednesday, July 9, the Law Offices of Phil LeVota announced that the citizens of Jackson County have urged the courts to intervene and direct a ruling on a recall election process for County Executive Frank White.

In a lawsuit filed by several Jackson County residents — Stephanie Coen, Fawn Collins, Mark Jones and Jay Perry — they claim that the election date is taking too long to set. They claim a date was expected within 24 hours of the June 30 filing; however, nine days later, no date has been set.

“There are lots of legal arguments being talked about regarding the Recall Election Process of the Jackson County Executive, but no one is representing the citizens of Jackson County,” a spokesperson for the office said. “We are only here because concerned citizens acted to do so much to create the process for a recall election.” 

UPDATE . . . Here's the response from the Exec:

Jackson County Executive Statement

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. issued the following statement in response to litigation, attached, filed today:

“Let’s be honest: this recall isn’t about what’s best for Jackson County – it’s about politics, personal power grabs, wasted taxpayer dollars, and, most of all, stadium subsidies. That’s why we’ll fight this in court, where the facts matter and the law still means something, not in the media and not through backroom political deals.

“As County Executive, I take seriously my responsibility to uphold the Charter and protect the integrity of our local government. I look forward to presenting our case in a court of law.

“The public deserves to know who’s behind today’s lawsuit. The attorney leading the effort, Phil LeVota, previously asked me to create a new judicial position in the County’s municipal court so he could be appointed to it. I declined because expanding government to create a job for a political insider is exactly what I was elected to stop.

 “Even more concerning, Mr. LeVota has been openly lobbying legislators to name him interim County Executive if a recall succeeds, and at the same time, doing the bidding of the teams in the press. Just two months ago, he told the media: ‘If this doesn’t happen, the Royals are gone,’ and said he’d be interested in being appointed interim County Executive if I’m recalled. Those statements reflect a clear political and personal agenda, and align perfectly with the interests of those pushing for a stadium deal that voters overwhelmingly rejected.

“If anyone still had doubts about what this recall is really about, they shouldn’t anymore. This isn’t about accountability; it’s about ambition and influence. It’s about clearing the path for a stadium deal that voters rejected and removing the one person who stood up and said it was a bad deal for taxpayers.

“I was elected to lead, not to step aside just because doing the right thing makes some people uncomfortable. I’ll keep following the law, protecting taxpayers and standing up for Jackson County.”
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UPDATE . . . Here's the response from a legislator who is supportive of the effort:

Statement from Sean Smith on the Administration’s Reaction to the Recall Effort

On Monday, July 7th, the County Administration turned off their lights and went home early.  This seemed to be an effort to delay the official “receipt” of legislation that directed his recall to be put on an August 26th Special Election ballot.  But why delay the inevitable?
 
Simply stated, the administration has been orchestrating an effort to delay the recall election for weeks, even before the vote of the Legislature.  These efforts have included fabrication of a requirement for an ordinance to call the election, where the County Charter seems clear that the citizens of Jackson County, by signing the petition, have already enacted that ordinance.  Well before the final signatures were certified by the Election Boards, our County Counselor was spinning a narrative that an ordinance was required.   This is the same attorney who said the 2023 Assessment Cycle was lawfully conducted.  The same attorney who supported Frank White’s veto of the 2025 budget, resulting in 6 month delays for vital social services and criminal justice funding.
 
Back to the question of whether an ordinance is required.  The gaslighting was so thorough and pervasive. Several members of the Legislature and our staff thoroughly believed that this was explicitly enumerated in the County Charter, even the Election Boards seem to have been convinced.  But no clear provision exists and those who believed the County Counselor searches in vain to find an ordinance authorizing a previous election that was lawfully required, such as last year’s Sheriff and Prosecutor election.  No such ordinances are ever passed.
 
The section of the County Charter that describes the recall process begins with “The people reserve the power to propose and enact all ordinances independent of the County Legislature”.  Indeed, the recall petition contains the statement “Be it ordained.” Once sufficient signatures were obtained and certified the ordinance requiring the election should’ve been certified and an election scheduled, without legislative action, within the 60 days required by the Charter.
 
Further efforts by the administration will no doubt continue.  These could include refusing to fund the election which is another legal requirement, challenging the validity of the petitions using County resources, which violates election law or other measures that remain to be seen.
 
We know Frank White turned the lights out and went home to try to delay things.  Now it is time to turn the lights out on this lawless administration and start working to get the county back on track to our residents.
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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KCTV5: "Residents sue to force recall election for Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr."

KMBC: LeVota Lawsuit Demands Jackson County Exec Recall Election

Developing . . .