Jackson County residents have voted to recall County Executive Frank White Jr. and remove him from office effective immediately. This is the first time in the county’s history that voters have recalled an executive.
The decision to recall White held 85% of the vote. The election itself had a low turnout. Fewer than 11% of registered voters in Kansas City and 20% in Eastern Jackson County went to their polling places either in absentee voting or on the Sept. 30 recall date. The recall was placed on the ballot after a petition received tens of thousands of signatures from county voters.
“Tonight, Jackson County turns a page,” DaRon McGee, chair of the Jackson County Legislature, said in a statement. “The people have spoken, and their voices carry the full weight of our democracy. This has been a serious and sobering moment for our county, one that reflects real concerns in our community and a deep desire for accountability. Now, we begin the work of moving forward.”
McGee is now in charge of appointing White’s temporary replacement who can serve for up to 30 days. Then the full legislature will vote on an interim executive who will serve until White’s term is up in November of next year.
McGee is one of three people being publicly considered to take on the role. In an interview with The Beacon, he said he didn’t believe it would be a conflict of interest for a legislator to vote for themselves and that the public won’t get much input on the next executive.
In a statement Tuesday, he said the legislature understood the responsibility they are now undertaking.
“The task of selecting a new County Executive is serious,” McGee said. “It is not just about filling a seat. It is about restoring trust. It is about steadying the ship. And it is about making sure that this government reflects the values and priorities of the people it serves.”
Attorney Phil LeVota, who formerly worked for the county prosecutor’s office, and former county legislator Dan Tarwater are also in the running.
LeVota represented county voters and petition signers in the case to get the recall election scheduled. Petitioners originally asked to schedule the recall Aug. 26, but the Jackson County and Kansas City election boards said that was too soon, and a judge ordered the date to be Sept. 30.
White has questioned the validity of those signatures. He’s said dark money groups were working to remove him from office because a 3/8th-cent sales tax extension to support the Chiefs and Royals, and presumably keep the teams in the county, overwhelmingly failed. White pushed back against putting the tax on the ballot in the first place, saying he wanted to see a lease and community benefits agreement before putting it to the voters.
Last week, attorneys representing White attempted to stop the recall election from happening on Sept. 30. White said the election date was illegal and asked that the courts schedule the recall for the “next lawful election date,” according to a county ordinance. A judge for the Missouri Court of Appeals denied White’s appeal.
Lawyers for White appealed the case up to the Missouri Supreme Court on the day of the election. In the petition, they ask that the court vacate the earlier judgments and declare that a recall can only happen on the “next lawful election date,” which they claim is Nov. 4.
If the court does not do that, White’s team asked it to prohibit the election boards from counting, certifying or releasing election results until the case is decided. The court has not yet taken up the case or issued a ruling.
White previously told KCUR that “it’s been there, done that” with Tarwater and LeVota. He also said he had concerns about McGee or legislator Manny Abarca taking over as executive because of their documented history of harassment.
“I don't think those candidates can win this, this job countywide,” White said. “I think that's the biggest reason they want to appoint one of their people, because they know that if you get a year of incumbency, you get a little leg up.”
McGee resigned from the Missouri House in 2018 following allegations of sexual harassment. Abarca is charged in Kansas City, Missouri, and Johnson County, Kansas, in connection with a domestic dispute and the disappearance of his 2-year-old son. A Jackson County investigation also found that Abarca’s conduct toward county employees was inappropriate. Abarca called the investigation a political maneuver by White.
Legislator Charlie Franklin also said he would consider taking over as executive, according to Fox4.
In a statement, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city commits to a strong partnership with whoever the next executive is.
“As the largest city in Jackson County, Kansas City will work closely with the interim county executive, the legislature, and their team as we all work to ensure progress and fairness for the county, the city, and our taxpayers,” Lucas said. “Frank White's life story is a remarkable one for a kid hailing from Kansas City's East Side to becoming a star in big league ball. He has meant much to this community over the past 50 years. I wish him well on the next phase of his journey.”
Abarca and other legislators will hold a town hall on Wednesday to answer questions from residents and talk about what comes next. The event will run from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Northeast KC Chamber of Commerce.
White first took office in January 2016 after then-county executive Mike Sanders, who later went to prison for wire fraud, resigned. White was reelected in 2018 and 2022, but his tenure as county executive has been fraught for the past few years.
The stadium sales tax vote isn’t the only reason voters were mad at White. Property owners have been furious at the former executive after the 2019 property tax assessment process saw large increases in property values across the county. In 2023, the average property value increased by 30%.
The county faced multiple lawsuits, and the State Tax Commission ordered the county to roll back assessments to a 15% increase from 2021 property values. The legislature passed an ordinance to force White to obey the commission, but White vetoed it. He later agreed to comply with the order.
