Stotts City government still unable to hold quorum after two months: Despite urgent business, small town cannot field enough aldermen to meet

The Stotts City government has been unable to meet for months as a petition circulates online calling for the dissolution of the municipality’s government.

Mayor Tracy Knight has called for multiple meetings to take care of the city’s overdue business, but with one alderman chair empty and one occupied by a night-shift worker, the city can’t field enough aldermen at a meeting to discuss business.

Knight distributed two press releases to local outlets in an attempt to bring attention to the situation. Knight states in the documents that she has tried on multiple occasions to get the board of aldermen together to take care of overdue business. That business includes a few things, such as paying bills and developing a sunshine-request ordinance.

The board usually has four seats filled with aldermen, but due to Knight recently vacating her seat to rise to the position of mayor, one spot on the board remains empty. This means that if the city government wants to meet, it can have no absences or else will not have enough members to hold the meeting.

According to Alderman Tim Blankenship, aldermen Wade Shepherd works nights, resulting in canceled meetings due to low attendance. Knight said Shepherd indicated that he and other aldermen would not be at the special meeting that was set for June 26, and he would miss further meetings after this date. Alderman Ida Moore has also missed meetings according to Knight.

On June 23, Shepherd released a letter explaining why he had no intention of attending the June 26 special meeting. He set out a number of reasons, stating that Knight requested availability for a meeting and instead of finding a date that worked for everyone, she ended the coordination process and called a special meeting instead. He also said that knight has a pattern of exclusion, purposely calling meetings with minimal notice to keep aldermen out. 

No response from aldermen

The Lawrence County Record made efforts to reach Shepherd and Moore but had not received comment as of Monday, July 13. The board did not meet for the entire month of June and has not yet met in the month of July.

Knight sent out a release to local outlets which ran in the Lawrence County Record, wherein she highlighted that despite multiple timely attempts, the board was unable to hold a meeting and conduct official business.

A second release from Knight notified residents and aldermen of a special meeting on July 2 so government officials could enter closed session and receive legal advice, but this meeting was cancelled as multiple aldermen did not attend.

Past government issues

The Stotts City government has fallen short in recent years, failing to publish financial information. According to documents from the Missouri State Auditor’s Office, the municipality failed to comply with state laws by not publishing their financial statements for 2024 and 2025. The audit report stated that the city was vulnerable to fraud and to misuse of funds. Because of this and other reasons, the mayor requested the resignation of the city clerk.

Also according to the report, the city clerk was found as the only signature on 11 checks totaling more than $3,000 even though the city has an unwritten policy requiring two signatures. Because of this and other reasons, Knight called for the city clerk’s departure.

An emergency meeting was called for July 2 to address these issues and appoint a new clerk, but the lack of a quorum prevented business from being discussed.

Petition making rounds

A petition has begun to circulate online calling for the dissolution of the City of Stotts City. A petition alone is not enough to dissolve a municipality, but it could lead to the issue being put to a vote. Knight said that, though she supports the democratic process, she urges citizens to do their due diligence in researching what that could mean for the people of the city.

“I understand the frustration many residents feel following the recent audit and the challenges our city is facing. Those concerns deserve accountability and meaningful reform. But I believe the answer is to restore our city—not lose it,” she said.

For now, a meeting has been scheduled for this Friday, July 17. Time will tell if the Stotts City government will be able to smooth out their troubles or be dissolved.