Festus City Council rejects recall resolutions for mayor, 3 council members
The Festus City Council voted to reject recall elections for Mayor Sam Richards and three council members, who had previously voted in favor of a proposed hyperscale data center. The recall effort was sparked by citizen opposition to the data center project. The council's decision followed a legal opinion from the city attorney, who deemed the petitions insufficient, and aligned with a lawsuit filed by the targeted officials.
The Festus City Council in Missouri rejected resolutions for recall elections targeting Mayor Sam Richards and three council members — Mike Cook, David Boyer, and Kevin Dennis — who had supported a proposed hyperscale data center. This decision, made on Monday night, came months after a citizen-led petition drive initiated the recall process due to widespread opposition to the data center project.
Festus City Attorney Brian Malone advised the council that the recall petitions were legally insufficient, arguing they did not allege unlawful acts. Malone also stated that the targeted council members were eligible to vote on their own recall resolutions. Subsequently, the resolutions for Dennis, Boyer, and Richards failed on 4-3 votes, while Cook's resolution resulted in a 3-3 tie, broken by Mayor Richards' deciding vote, leading to its failure. In most cases, the council members facing recall voted against their own removal.
The recall effort gained momentum after Jefferson County Clerk Jeannie Goff verified the signatures. However, Mayor Richards and the three council members filed a lawsuit against Goff the previous week, asserting the petitions' invalidity due to a lack of specific misconduct allegations and insufficient valid signatures. The broader opposition to the data center has been active, with Festus voters having already ousted four city council incumbents in April who supported the project, replacing them with opposing candidates.