To the Editor:

Since leaving my post as mayor of the City of Fayette in 2022, I have worked diligently to stay out of city politics. I have been asked to finish terms of aldermen and women, and was asked about the possibility of acting as city administrator. I have even been approached about running for mayor again. Though I was flattered by those requests, I stood firm and said no to all of them. I felt that was the best way to support both Mayor Dawson and Mayor Stidham. Furthermore, I knew, in my heart, that as mayor, I would not have wanted any former mayors on the council or as administrator. It just did not seem appropriate to me.

Having said that, I feel it is time that I offer some advice to the citizens of the City of Fayette. As many of you will remember, I served as a member of the Columbia Police Department for many years. It is because of that, in addition to my experience as mayor, that I feel I may offer a unique perspective on the upcoming question put forth on the ballot offered on November 4.

During my term as mayor, I had the honor of working with two fine men as City Marshals. During the early part of my term, Jeff Oswald served as Marshal, then ran for Sheriff, and has done an excellent job, in my opinion, in that position. When he left for that position, we appointed David Ford to the Marshal position, and he was later voted by the people to serve, and he did so quite well. Were there bumps along the road? Of course. That is the nature of working for and serving the people, but at the end of the day, both Marshals Oswald and Ford knew that as Mayor I had their backs. To this day, I consider both men friends. Now, however, we come to the question at hand, “Shall the City of Fayette, Missouri appoint a Chief of Police who shall perform the duties of the City Marshal as authorized, by Section 79.050 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri? If approved, the appointment of a Chief of Police will take effect after the current City Marshal’s term has ended.” I fully believe this falls under the old adage of “Just because you CAN do something, does not necessarily mean you SHOULD.”

Before going any further, I would like to say that this letter falls under the category of my own opinion and represents no one other than myself. It is simply a tool to inform.

First, I wonder why the question never mentions that the appointment of the Police Chief will be made by the City Council. When I read “City of Fayette,” I feel as if the “question” is referring to the citizens of Fayette, not the council. Why not state it as you mean it? Why not say the mayor and council will appoint the Police Chief? My assumption, and I’ll say again for the people in the back, this is MY assumption, is that this appointee will be recommended by the mayor, then voted on by the council. If that is true, why not just say that?

Second, where is the need? For years, the citizens of Fayette have been voting on the position of City Marshal. Why, suddenly, is there a need for change?

Third, what happens when an alderman or woman is stopped on a Saturday night or Thursday morning for running a stop sign? My experience tells me that the first words out of their mouth when approached by the chief or one of the chief’s subordinates, are “do you know who I am?” clearly indicating “I am your boss, you are lucky to have this job, because I gave it to you.” Believe me, it happens all the time in those cities where the council has the final say in who fills the position of chief. The chief has no power because he is answering to the mayor and council, not the citizens

Fourth, this opens Fayette to the possibility of not being able to get rid of a police chief that might be involved in any type of wrongdoing. Where in this process do your everyday citizens’ rights come into play? Say the chief violates a citizen’s constitutional rights, but the chief and an alderman are fishing buddies. The argument I have seen is you can vote that alderman out, or the whole council, but that process could take at least two years for one, perhaps 4-6 for all. That is way too long to remove a chief that is a bad seed. If a chief is found guilty of wrongdoing under today’s process, a certain number of signatures would have that removal process on a ballot very quickly. 

Finally, I would like to make an observation and raise a question in doing so. By saying Yes to the question on the ballot, aren’t we, as citizens, giving away our right to vote for or against the person responsible for enforcing OUR ordinances and for protecting OUR property and lives? Tell me, why would we want to do that?

Again, friends and fellow citizens, I’m simply wanting to give you some food for thought based on my experience and encourage you to do your own research. Examine the pros and cons of both sides and make an informed decision, then GET OUT AND VOTE on November 4.

Humbly submitted by 

Former Mayor Kevin R. Oeth

Fayette, Mo.