Ellisville Mayor Ousted from Office

The Ellisville City Council found Mayor Adam Paul guilty of abusing the authority of his office in violation of the city's charter by a vote of 5-1 Monday night. 

Paul himself, however, wasn't present to hear the news that he had just been removed. Paul and his lawyer had walked out of the impeachment proceedings against him several hours earlier, declaring that they already knew what the outcome would be. 

The vote fell along lines similar to those that brought the resolution containing the charges against Paul at the beginning of the year with Councilwoman Linda Reel the sole dissenting vote. 

Included in the resolution approved Monday night by the council are allegations that Paul unilaterally tried to have the city attorney replaced, directed city staff to remove residents from meetings and evaded an attempt to serve him a subpeona. 

Several of the council members who approved the resolution removing Paul did so on the eve of the expiration of the terms. Troy Pieper lost his bid for re-election while Dawn Anglin and Michelle Murray were barred from running due to term limits. 

Paul vowed again on Monday to sue in St. Louis Circuit Court to be reinstated if he was thrown out while Pleban said he would ask the courts to grant a stay of the council's vote. 

The hearings to present the evidence against Paul took place over several days and regularly drew crowds of his supporters.

One such resident, Jim Saufnauer, attended every one and said he believed the charges were fueled not by concern over charter violations, but by personal disagreements between the mayor and certain council members. 

"I think he was railroaded," he said. 

Speaking after he voted to find Paul guilty, councilman and former mayor Matt Pirrello denied that it was about a "vendetta" and instead said there was a more simple way to avoid the negative attention and legal bills the public hearing has earned. 

"We would not have spent a dime if the mayor had comported himself according to the charter," Pirrello said.