06/10/2009

Associated Press

There are apparently three different signature totals for an effort to recall Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

The recall fell just short last month when the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners reported it had processed 20,811 signatures, of which 16,821 were valid. That was 129 short of the 16,950 required valid signatures.

But City Clerk Vicki Thompson, who made her own count at the request of city council members, reported Tuesday that the petitions contained 20,962 signatures.

Then reports from the Clay County election board suggested a third total: 20,070. Platte County did not report a signature total. The Kansas City metropolitan area stretches into parts of Clay and Platte counties, and those counties' election boards are responsible for counting results from their Kansas City voters.

"This is nothing short of amazing," said Harris Wilder, spokesman for the recall petitioners. "Each county is coming up with a different number."

The recall group likely will file a court action this week seeking a re-count, he said.

"All we're asking for is an accurate and fair count," Wilder said.

The Kansas City Star also reported that Assistant City Attorney Bill Geary sent a memo to Kansas City Council members, saying recall supporters' claims of nepotism have not been confirmed. Funkhouser has been accused of breaking state law by allowing his wife, Gloria Squitiro, to be a full-time volunteer in his office.

Geary's memo responding to council members' questions about the recall was sent May 28, two days before city officials declared that the recall effort had fallen short of enough signatures. The memo has not been released publicly.

Funkhouser's office and City Attorney Galen Beaufort declined to comment on Geary's memo.

But council members said they hoped to discuss the memo and other aspects of the recall or a re-count in a closed session Thursday.

"I want some explanations at least," said Councilwoman Cindy Circo, who supports a re-count. "To me it's just wrong (not to re-count) when you have a count so close."

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com