First Ward residents in Columbia voted Tuesday to recall City Council member Nick Knoth. The vote was 531 to 394 in favor of a recall. Knoth said he was relieved by the result and is looking forward to “going on” with his life.
“Council work is a privilege and an honor, but it also takes a toll on your personal and family life,” Knoth said. “I’ll be happy to spend more time with less stress.”
The recall campaign was sparked when Knoth accepted a job as a lobbyist with Missouri Realtors in September, leaving his previous position at the Better Business Bureau. He had been working at the bureau at the time of his election in April. Some constituents saw the new job as a lobbyist as a conflict of interest.
Recall Nick Knoth member Laura Mitchell referred to the change as a “bait and switch,” because she says Knoth was not transparent about his intention to the leave the bureau during the election.
“He worked for the Better Business Bureau when he was elected, and after six months, all of a sudden he works as a lobbyist for the realtors,” Mitchell said.
“I’ll be happy to spend more time with less stress.”Nick Knoth
“He hasn’t done anything egregious, and yet, he always votes with the council and he always votes with the mayor. And he’s not a representative for the whole city, he’s a representative for the First Ward.”
The campaign to recall Knoth has largely been grassroots, starting in the backyard of a concerned First Ward resident. The movement quickly spread throughout the winter as members gathered the required 336 signatures from First Ward residents to get the recall on the ballot.
First Ward residents are now looking forward to electing his replacement in the upcoming special election in August.
During his time on the council, Knoth said he was most proud of encouraging transparency around the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funding and selecting projects for ARPA to fund.
“I think [it] will make a big difference in our community for decades to come,” Knoth said.
