A coalition including the Urban Summit’s civil rights leaders gathered on the Jackson County Courthouse steps late last week, demanding County Executive Frank White Jr. resign immediately after he vetoed his own recall election ordinance.
White issued a statement explaining the veto. He cited legal deficiencies, a special election cost of $1.8M, and logistical concerns with the proposed Aug. 26 recall election.
“It forces our local election boards to break the law, waste taxpayer dollars and invites chaos into how recalls are conducted in Jackson County,” said White in a statement. “The people deserve better.”
The Jackson County Legislature overrode his veto in an 8-0 vote, meaning that the special recall election is still on. But competing lawsuits muddy the waters on any clear timeline for when exactly voters will have their say.
Rally Organizers Call for White’s Resignation
Urban League President Gwendolyn Grant led the rally, calling on White to resign. Grant said White’s veto is “a blatant conflict of interest, trying to hang on to his job by thwarting the will of the people.”
But it wasn’t just the veto; speakers cited multiple grievances with White’s leadership, including:
- Property tax assessments that spiked 300% for some homeowners despite state orders to roll them back
- Vetoing the entire 2025 county budget, delaying funding for domestic violence shelters and health clinics for six months
- Leaving $70 million in federal ARPA funds unspent, money now at risk of returning to the federal government
- Chronic absenteeism, attending only one legislative meeting this year
“Frank White must go,” said Grant. “In addition to his poor leadership, he’s willfully obstructive, and his governance has been harmful since he took office. He has not met with or worked collaboratively with any county legislature since he was elected.”
Unlikely Coalition Forms
The rally brought together an unusual mix: Urban League’s Grant, Rev. Dr. Vernon Howard of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Heavy Constructors Association CEO Bridgette Williams, Attorney & former Jackson County Democratic Chair Phil LeVota, and Republican County Legislator Sean Smith.
“This is not a Black/White issue,” said LeVota. “It’s not a partisan issue, not Republican or Democratic. It’s a good government issue.”
Williams acknowledged her organization’s involvement in the recall campaign. The Heavy Constructors Association, which represents major construction interests that would benefit from stadium development, has been among White’s most vocal critics since he opposed the failed Chiefs-Royals stadium tax measure.
“This is not just a recall campaign, this is a reckoning,” said Williams. “We want leadership, not neglect.”
Rev. Dr. Howard delivered the day’s most memorable lines, repeatedly invoking White’s baseball legacy.
“Eight gold gloves mean nothing to the senior citizen whose house’s property tax bills have skyrocketed,” said Howard. “Eight gold gloves mean nothing to the women, children, and babies in crisis whose protection from violence and safe shelter has been blocked because of an autocratic leader.”
White Fires Back
White rejected resignation calls outright, accusing his critics of seeking power and money rather than good governance.
“Resigning wouldn’t save taxpayers a dime – it would cost them more, potentially billions over time,” White responded. “And it would hand over the keys to people like DaRon McGee and Manny Abarca, who’ve shown they’re more interested in cutting blank checks to private billion-dollar corporations.”
He called the resignation push “a distraction designed to gain power, control and money.”
Legal Limbo
Lawsuits now determine when voters get their say. Attorney Phil LeVota represents four citizens arguing that the county charter allows recalls to proceed immediately without legislative interference or delay.
But both Jackson County and Kansas City election boards sued separately, claiming that while the county charter sets a 60-day turnaround on recall efforts, the election boards cannot meet federal deadlines for an August election. Military and absentee ballots should have been distributed by mid-July.
“We certainly understand the election boards’ concerns, but disagree that it should wait until November, because even if they can’t do it on August 26 there is a more timely date in September or October that they could hold the election to meet all of their concerns,” LeVota said.
Court hearings are set for July 25 (election boards) and August 1 (citizens’ case) and will likely determine when the recall election will take place. White has said he is open to a November recall election, while the legislature and others have pushed for an earlier special election.