02/19/2026
URGENT: Raytown removing elected officials without your vote - meeting TONIGHT 7 PM
shared by request
Fellow Raytown Residents,
I'm writing to you about a democratic crisis unfolding in our city. I need your help - TONIGHT.
THE SITUATION:
On April 8, 2025, Latrice Thomas won the Ward 3 alderman seat by 5 votes. 143 Raytown residents voted for her (including me - it was my first time voting in a municipal election).
On June 26, Mayor McDonough called her into his office and removed her with a letter. No Board vote. No court order. No public announcement. Just gone.
For 8 months, the Board has said nothing publicly about this.
TONIGHT at 7 PM, they're holding the first reading of an impeachment ordinance. But here's the thing: Missouri law says the Mayor CANNOT unilaterally remove an elected official. It requires either a Board of Aldermen vote OR a court order from the Attorney General or County Prosecutor.
Neither happened. The Mayor just decided on his own.
Oh, and on January 6th - two weeks before they finalized the impeachment documents - the Board quietly approved over $30,000 in extra legal fees for "City Attorney and Special Counsel Services" without saying what it was for. Your tax dollars, funding this questionable removal.
WHY THIS MATTERS:
If a mayor can remove any elected official he doesn't like, without a vote, without due process, without even telling the public - that's not democracy. If this stands, no elected official in Raytown is safe. And 143 voters have their votes nullified.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
🔴 EMAIL THE BOARD RIGHT NOW:
Step 1: Copy these email addresses (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C):
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Step 2: Paste into the "To:" field of a new email
Step 3: Subject line: Oppose Bill 6707-26 - Improper Impeachment
Step 4: Copy and paste this message (feel free to personalize!):
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Dear Raytown Board of Aldermen,
I urge you to vote NO on Bill 6707-26, the impeachment of Alderwoman Latrice Thomas.
Latrice Thomas was duly elected by 143 Ward 3 voters and certified by the Jackson County Election Board. On June 26, 2025, Mayor McDonough removed her in a private meeting WITHOUT a Board vote and WITHOUT a court order. This violates Missouri law.
Missouri law requires either:
A Board vote under §79.240, OR
A quo warranto petition by the Attorney General or County Prosecutor
Neither happened. For eight months you've remained silent. Now you're using over $30,000 in taxpayer funds for legal fees to impeach someone who was already unlawfully removed.
143 Ward 3 residents voted for Latrice Thomas. Their votes deserve to be honored, not nullified by executive fiat.
Please:
Vote NO on the impeachment
Demand proper legal process
Restore Alderwoman Thomas if no proper removal occurred
Our democracy depends on following the law.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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🔴 SHOW UP TONIGHT (even more powerful):
Raytown City Hall, 10000 E 59th St
Meeting starts 7:00 PM
Public comment is allowed - your voice matters
Can't attend? Watch live: https://www.raytown.mo.us/videos
This is about whether our votes count. Whether elected officials can be removed without due process. Whether government operates in secret or in the open.
Please forward this to anyone in Raytown who cares about democracy.
Nelson Randolph
Ward 3 Resident
5201 Sterling Avenue
P.S. - Morris Melloy and other residents have been raising these concerns for months at Board meetings. The Board hasn't answered. Tonight, we need numbers.
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