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After two years of collecting signatures, Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. now faces something that’s never happened before in the county’s history – a recall election that could remove him from office.
The county’s election boards confirmed that petition organizers turned in 43,011 verified signatures – 109 more than the 42,902 needed to trigger a recall vote.
What’s a County Executive?
Jackson County has a form of government with a nine-member legislature and an executive branch. Similar to a ‘president of the county,’ Frank White serves as Jackson County’s chief executive, overseeing the county government’s day-to-day operations for its 717,000 residents. White, 71, a Democrat, became the first Black man to hold the office in 2016 and was reelected in 2022. Before politics, he was a Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame second baseman who helped bring the team its first World Series championship in 1985.
Why Some Want Him Gone
Two main issues sparked this recall effort: increased property tax assessments that have property owners furious, and White’s opposition to a stadium tax for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
Property values spiked an average of 30% during the 2023 assessment cycle, triggering widespread anger from residents and business owners. The Missouri State Tax Commission ordered Jackson County to roll back these increases, ruling that the county failed to follow proper legal procedures and raised taxes too high. White has fought these orders in court—saying properties were previously underassessed—leading to ongoing legal battles with the Republican-controlled state commission.
The stadium issue created another flashpoint. When the County Legislature voted in January 2024 to put a 3/8-cent sales tax on the April ballot to fund new stadiums, White vetoed the measure. The legislature overrode his veto 7-2, but White actively campaigned against the tax proposal, which ultimately failed with voters by a wide margin.
Many Jackson County residents signing the recall initiative blame White for not getting a deal struck to retain the pro sports teams, and are anxious they will relocate to Kansas. White has maintained that he negotiated with the teams in good faith and had taxpayers’ interests in mind.
The Money Behind the Recall
A group called Democracy in Action funded much of the recall campaign, spending more than $330,000 on red “Recall Frank White” t-shirts, signs, and paid petition collectors. White says the recall funding stems from stadium interests seeking revenge for his opposition to their tax proposal.
“This effort is being led and funded by dark money groups and self-interested insiders who were denied a blank check for a bad stadium deal,” White said Monday. “They didn’t get what they wanted, and now they’re trying to buy political revenge.”
Dark money refers to political spending by organizations that don’t have to disclose their donors, meaning the individual sources funding Democracy in Action aren’t publicly known.
“This recall isn’t about public service; it’s about private gain,” says White. “It’s being driven by those who want county government to work for them, not the people. But I was elected to serve taxpayers, not special interests and I won’t be bullied into selling out the residents of Jackson County.”
What Happens Next
The county legislature must now vote to accept the signatures and set an election date. Jackson County’s charter specifies that a recall election must happen within 60 days of those signatures being certified.
That timeline creates problems. According to KCTV, election officials expressed concern about the timeline, saying it’s less time than they usually have to plan an election. The directors of the Kansas City Election Board said the county legislature needs to set a date and approve ballot language with a ticking clock in the background.
The election could happen over Labor Day weekend or could be pushed to Nov. 4, when other elections are already scheduled.
If White is Recalled
If voters choose to recall White, he’s out immediately. The sitting chair of the legislature would appoint a replacement.
To avoid partisanship, the county charter says that in the event of a recall, the replacement must also be of the same political party. This means that legislator DaRon McGee would select a democrat to take White’s place. A majority vote by the legislature would be required to accept that appointment.
County Government Infighting
This recall reflects deeper problems in Jackson County government, where even in a Democratic supermajority, the county has struggled with infighting and gridlock.
The recall comes after months of public feuding between White and county legislators, particularly Manny Abarca and Sean Smith.
Legislator Smith (R) ran unsuccessfully for a US House seat in 2024 and is being investigated by White for allegedly using county resources for political activities connected to the recall campaign. Smith formally endorsed the recall effort against White in December.
“The legislature has found no common ground after two years of trying to work with Frank,” said Smith. “So, it’s with some amount of sadness that I see a recall as the only recourse of taxpayers and citizens who need help from the county.”
Legislator Abarca (D) is facing domestic battery charges in Johnson County, Kansas, and is accused of violating a protection order in Jackson County, Missouri – charges he has pleaded not guilty to. His wife reported him and their 2-year-old son missing in late May before they were found safe. White has called for Abarca to recuse himself from budget votes because of his legal troubles.
“43,000 people basically have said they believe he’s doing a bad job, at least on assessments,” said Abarca. “The litany of the list of things going wrong in Jackson County, led by this county executive, is too long to talk about.”
Recent dysfunction in Jackson County government includes:
- Operating without a budget for the first half of 2025 after White vetoed the legislature’s proposals, and a compromise took months to achieve
- Nearly losing millions in federal ARPA funding due to disagreements between the executive and the legislature
- Ongoing legal battles over property tax assessments with the state
- Public feuding during legislative meetings
White Pushes Back
The recall effort is being met with a strong defense from the county executive.
“Today’s announcement is simply a procedural step, not a verdict. Meeting a signature threshold doesn’t decide anything,” White said Monday. “What it does reveal is how far certain interests are willing to go to punish elected officials who refuse to cave to political pressure and backroom stadium subsidy deals.”
White also defended his record on property taxes and the stadium issue:
“I’ve long said Missouri’s property assessment system needs reform, and I understand the frustration,” said White. “This recall won’t fix assessments. It’s a distraction, orchestrated by wealthy special interests who want to undo your vote and force a stadium tax back on the table.”
The Bottom Line
For the first time in Jackson County’s history, voters will likely soon decide whether to remove their county executive from office. The recall comes down to whether residents think White has failed them on property taxes and transparency, or whether they believe he’s stood up to powerful interests trying to buy political influence.
This is exactly what happens when you let the minority rule.