Recall petition for Columbia Councilman Nick Knoth submitted to city
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The City of Columbia received a recall petition from residents for Ward 1 Councilman Nick Knoth, according to an email from City Clerk Sheela Amin.
Amin told ABC 17 News that the petition is being reviewed to determine if it is sufficient for a recall.
Residents in Columbia’s first ward started collecting signatures for the petition in October after concerns were brought up after Knoth accepted a position as the Director of Government Affairs & Regional Advocacy with the Missouri Association of REALTORS. The group of residents previously claimed Knoth’s lobbyist position is a conflict of interest.
Knoth registered as a lobbyist on Nov. 1 for the Missouri Association of REALTORS, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission. He was previously registered as a lobbyist in 2021 for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.
“I understand that there are concerns surrounding the continuation of my professional career outside of my volunteer capacity as a councilman,” Knoth wrote in a Tuesday email to ABC 17 News. “It's important to reiterate that my new employment does not pose any conflict of interest with my responsibilities as a councilman, this has been confirmed by both the City's Legal Counsel as well as the Missouri Ethics Commission, and it does not affect my ability or my commitment to serving the First Ward.”
According to Article XVII, Section 136 of the city charter a recall petition must have a number of signatures that equals at least 30% of the number of votes cast for the First Ward election.
There were 1,120 votes cast which means the petition needed 336 signatures, according to previous reporting. If they reach that total, then the city clerk would submit the petition to City Council and the council would then call for a recall vote, which would appear on the next ballot, per Section 137 of the city charter.
Knoth is not the first Columbia elected official to accept a position as a lobbyist. Former Mayor Brian Treece also held a lobbyist position while he was in office. However, after complaints about a conflict of interest the state’s ethics committee forced him to dissolve his campaign committee.
