A Forest Park councilwoman is fighting for her political life as she heads into Monday night's meeting.
The City Council is set to vote on whether Karen-Brandee Williams, a freshman council member, will keep her job in the wake of ethics charges against her.
An ethics hearing officer recently found Williams guilty on 15 of 25 charges brought against her by several residents, mostly over correspondence with city department officials. Ethics violations are considered a misdemeanor. Williams is appealing the decision.
It would be the first time in recent memory a sitting council member has been removed, according to City Manager John Parker. Parker declined to comment further. City attorneys Robert Mack and Joe Harris were unavailable for comment.
Williams' possible ouster is the sole agenda item. There will be public comment prior to the council's vote.
"It's hard not to get outraged about this," said Kimberly Krautter, a Williams supporter. "There's plenty of electronic copies of emails of other sitting council members making similar inquiries on behalf of their constituents. But nothing has been done to them. It appears K.B. is being singled out."
More importantly, Krautter said, "This isn't just a nuisance hearing; she's actually being charged with crimes. This is not the way city government or any government is supposed to operate."
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