Do We Pay A Mayor To Campaign Against Us?

The St. Louis Post Dispatch headline this morning read: "Ellisville Council Ousts Mayor." First year Mayor Adam Paul of Ellisville was removed from office for a number of items, interestingly enough one of the charges was; "the council found Paul guilty of failing to control meetings." Does this sound familiar to anyone, does anyone know a Mayor who consistently fits this description?

I'm wondering if our Wentzville Mayor Nickolas Guccione read the paper this morning during his smoke break? If he did, I'm sure he couldn't help but feel there may be some similarities between himself and the "ousted mayor" of Ellisville, but maybe not. In my opinion, I don't think he sees anything even remotely similar to his Ellisville counterpart. I believe Guccione feels himself bullet proof when it comes to being removed from office. I feel bad for Mayor Paul and his family, but if the charges for his removal are supported by what will now be a court challenge, then he'll just have to live with it. It all boils down to ego now and how far he wants to go to get what he wants.

I brought up this whole mess in Ellisville this morning to illustrate some of the similarities between him and our own Mayor. I found it interesting that he had just completed his first year in office, the same as our Mayor. And obviously, Mayor. Paul was incapable of running meetings, same as our Mayor, but that may be where the similarities end.

As my readers know, one of Mayor Guccione's difficulties is in the illegal usage of our City logo on campaign literature. You also know, Guccione was pardoned last year for the exact same thing he did this year, using the City logo on campaign literature, this time on a flyer supporting Alderman Michael Hays. Some may say: "Oh it's barely noticeable," but both men knew it was there and both men made no effort to remove it. In the photograph, Hays was cropped in in front of Guccione but the placement of the mayor was such that they made sure his Wentzville logo pin was obvious. If indeed the board wrote law to prohibit the unlicensed use of the Wentzville logo then both men are in violation of Wentzville law, and both should pay the price.

Some may say that Hays wasn't here and he didn't know about the law, unfortunately, you or I would be told, "ignorance of the law is no excuse." Guccione did know about the law, it was written for him, so his illegal use must be considered chronic and untreatable by a slap on the wrist. This is reason number two for his removal.

The third, and I believe the most serious was the use the office of Mayor, and the City of Wentzville to endorse a candidate in a different branch of Government. I am a voter in Ward 3 and I feel disenfranchised when our Mayor uses the office of Mayor, the Executive Branch, and the City of Wentzville to endorse an unpopular candidate in the Legislative Branch. Ward 3 citizens don't pay taxes to pay a Mayor in Wentzville to have the Mayor bringing the force of his elected office to campaign for an Alderman candidate who won by eight votes and elected by only 39 percent of the voters of Ward 3. Every Mayor in the history of Wentzville knew better than to openly do what Guccione did—the voters of Ward 3 need protection from this sort of unethical behavior. Every voter in Wentzville should complain about this—it is guaranteed that if nothing is done, next year you will see our Mayor Guccione, his office of Mayor, and the City of Wentzville helping him elect an unpopular candidate in the Legislative Branch of our Government, and this time in your ward.

It should be the opinion of every disenfranched voter of Ward 3 and any voter in the City of Wentzville who believes in our free, fair, and impartial form of Government to stop the insanity in the Mayor's office. We the taxpayers do not pay a Mayor a salary to campaign against us. I urge our Aldermen to do the right thing; let Mayor Guccione join Mayor Adam Paul of Ellisville in the unemployment line. There are people who are just not cut out to be leaders, Nickolas Guccione is one of them, Guccione won't quit, he needs to be stopped, and after all—it's in the air.

No Confidence, Unethical Behavior, Time To Go!

The Wentzvillian has been called "sour grapes" more than once during elections; maybe it's time for those grapes to go rancid. There is grass-roots talk around town regarding the removal of Wentzville Mayor Nickolas Guccione from office, and The Wentzvillian agrees with this movement. The Wentzville Board of Aldermen can initiate the removal process according to state statute but has been reluctant to proceed without public support. I know there exists the necessary majority of our Aldermen who believe that Guccione is incompetent to carry out the business of the Mayor's office. They have carried him for a year, trying to keep the meetings orderly and on point, but there comes a time when that has to end. I've copied Missouri State Statute below:

Removal of officers.
79.240. The mayor may, with the consent of a majority of all the members elected to the board of aldermen, remove from office, for cause shown, any elective officer of the city, such officer being first given opportunity, together with his witnesses, to be heard before the board of aldermen sitting as a board of impeachment. Any elective officer, including the mayor, may in like manner, for cause shown, be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of all members elected to the board of aldermen, independently of the mayor's approval or recommendation. The mayor may, with the consent of a majority of all the members elected to the board of aldermen, remove from office any appointive officer of the city at will, and any such appointive officer may be so removed by a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the board of aldermen, independently of the mayor's approval or recommendation. The board of aldermen may pass ordinances regulating the manner of impeachments and removals.
(RSMo 1939 § 7107)
Prior revisions: 1929 § 6957; 1919 § 8408; 1909 § 9310

The preceding proves the fact that Mayor Nickolas Guccione can be removed from office by the Alderman. They are aware of this Statute, yet in the public view they have remained reticent. Today, the Aldermen have enough support on the board to call for the removal of Guccione from office; after next year's election they may not. If we are to have Guccione impeached, it must be done this year.

 

After his election last year, Mayor-Elect Nickolas Guccione was pardoned by Mayor Lambi for his unethical behavior. As a consequence of his unethical behavior during last year's election, the Aldermen passed a new "Ethics Policy Ordinance," affectionately referred to as the "Guccione Policy." And this year he flaunted it by illegally using his office and the City of Wentzville to endorse Micheal Hays (Plastic Guccione) to the seat in Ward 3, which was clearly illegal manipulation of an election. Because Guccione used his office and the City of Wentzville to endorse Mr. Hays, he subesequently won the election by eight votes. In my opinion due to Mayor Guccione's unethical influence of the election, Hayes does not deserve to represent me or any citizen of Ward 3.

Through his first year in office, he has consistently shown that he cannot competently preside over the City meetings and is incapable of directing employees in a professional manner. He has proven that he cannot communicate, either in writing or orally with members of the staff, Aldermen, or citizens, and his lack of communication skills is costing tax-dollars and has become a detriment to taxpayers. The Aldermen know about his incompetence and his unethical and illegal activities, and they need to take action, Wentzville can no longer be anchored by Nickolas Guccione.

 

I believe enough evidence exists to move forward with impeachment proceedings, and since there is no initiative on the part of our Aldermen, it's time for my readers, their friends, and all citizens of Wentzville  to call their Aldermen, asking them to initiate the process of removing Mayor Nickolas Guccione for cause. Only through the actions of the people will the Aldermen take on the removal of Mayor Nickolas Guccione from office. Call your Aldermen, write letters to them, email them (with your name and address), but tell them we are fed up with our Mayor's unscrupulous behavior.

I encourage my fellow citizens to join me in standing before the Board of Aldermen on April 10th to voice our concerns regarding Mayor Nickolas Guccione's violation of Wentzville ordinance and election law. I look forward to seeing you there The future of good Government is at stake in this matter and we can not afford a leader who chronically violates Wentzville ordinances or thinks he is above the law.