Ozark council votes to censure mayor

Michelle Mann OZARK — Citing “inappropriate and unprofessional behavior unbecoming the elected leader of our fair city,” the Ozark City Council voted by majority Tuesday evening to censure Ozark Mayor Mark Blankenship. Councilmembers Les Perault and Winston Jackson and Council President Brenda Simechak voted in favor of the censure. Councilmembers Stanley Enfinger and Leah Harlow voted against it.

People are also reading… The root of the censure vote was the mayor’s social media interaction with citizens who disagreed with his opinion of the age-appropriate placement of some books in the young adult section of the Ozark-Dale County Public Library several weeks ago. Blankenship took to social media to urge people to call on elected officials to defund the library over LGBTQ materials and then posted social media comments about citizens who disagreed with him.

A letter Blankenship wrote “To the city council, county commission and the citizens of Ozark,” about an issue between himself and a private citizen, printed on Ozark city letterhead and distributed in the council chambers at the Oct. 3 city council meeting, was also addressed in the resolution. Blankenship said that he had used city letterhead for that letter after getting the approval from City Attorney Joe W. Adams.

“I want to be clear that this resolution of censure has absolutely nothing to do with the mayor’s personal opinions or views but is the direct result of his actions and behavior toward private citizens of Ozark. It is his unprofessional treatment of these private individuals that has led me to pursue this course of action,” Perault said.

Simechak noted that over the past four meetings that she has reiterated that she wanted decorum and everyone to be treated with respect during the public comment portion of the meeting. “And that is all I am asking for. I’m not asking you to change to change your opinion” she said to Blankenship before he interrupted her. “I am asking you to please use professionalism and at the very least allow me to have my say. No one is against you.

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