Four members of the Evanston City Council expressed “no confidence” in Mayor Kent Williams during the Tuesday, Aug. 20, council meeting. The surprise came after Evanston City Councilmember Jesse Lind read the statement below, accusing Mayor Williams of violating both the United States and Wyoming constitutions.
After reading the statement, three other council members — Tim Lynch, Mike Sellers and Jen Hegeman — said they agreed with with Lind's statement. Councilmember Evan Perkes said this was the first he’d heard of the idea, and Councilmember David Welling said he was "disgusted" by the letter.
The mayor, unsure of how to resume the meeting, turned to City Attorney Mark Harris, who advised him to move on to the next agenda item.
Christopher Wages represents the Wyoming Press Association, of which the Herald is a member. His office told the Herald:
“These issues can be very town specific. If your town/city has a procedure for removal of an elected official or voter recall, then those procedures need to be followed, and with having the proper grounds for their use. Generally, a vote of no confidence means nothing other than a political gesture, whether specific procedures for removal exist or not. A vote of no confidence can be a useful message, but not significant legally. A vote of no confidence isn’t as strong a censure, but is an official statement about how the Mayor’s performance is viewed.”
Here is the statement Lind read during Tuesday’s council meeting:
Let the record reflect the improper adjournment by the mayor, Kent Williams, of the city council meeting of August 6th, 2024, was in direct breach of procedure and in violation of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, Amendment 1 of the Bill of Rights and of Article 1, Sections 1, 3 and 7 of the Constitution of the State of Wyoming.
Official meetings allow redress of comments and grievances and must be adjourned by a vote of attending council members.
Failure to do so infringes freedom of speech, the power inherent in the people that all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness and the use of Absolute, arbitrary power over the lives, liberty and property of freemen denies voter representation by the officials they elected.
The meeting held August 6th, should be held null and void and all proceedings voted on that date should be stricken. Failure to do so violates the very cornerstone of our government and our democracy.
Amendment 1 in the Bill of Right guarantees every citizen of these United States the right to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances” and “prohibits the exercise of abridging the freedom of speech or the press.”
Article 1 Sec 1 of the Declaration of Rights of the Constitution of the State of Wyoming declares “All power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness; for the advancement of these ends they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish the government in such manner as they may think proper.”
Section 3 declares “Since equality in the enjoyment of: natural and civil rights is only made sure through political equality, the laws of this state affecting the political rights and privileges of its citizens shall be without distinction of race, color, sex, or any circumstance or condition whatsoever other than individual incompetency, or unworthiness duly ascertained by a court of competent jurisdiction.”
Section 7 declares “No Absolute, Arbitrary Power. Absolute, arbitrary power over the lives, liberty and property of freemen exists nowhere in a republic, not even in the largest majority.”
As elected officials we are bound by the oath each of us swore, upon entering office, to uphold the Constitution of the State of Wyoming and the Constitution of the United States of America.
We are public servants that represent the collective voices of the people we were elected to represent. Denying the citizenry, or us, our inalienable right to free speech denies voter representation, the enjoyment of natural and civil rights and the action of absolute, arbitrary power strips the power inherent in the people and all free governments that are founded on their authority.
Furthermore, we are humbled to serve and speak on behalf of the people we represent. We will revere and obey the city’s laws and the Constitution of both Wyoming and of the Land. We will fight for the ideals of these sacred things, both alone and with many and we will strive unceasingly to uphold the rights of our citizens in all ways and protect them from any act of dishonesty or cowardice that violates their civil liberties.
Due to the Mayor’s actions and violations of procedure, and his blatant disregard to uphold the basic rights granted to the citizens of Evanston by the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Wyoming, documented by public record, during the City Council Meeting of August 6, 2024 we motion for a vote of no confidence against the Mayor.
The Herald has reached out to the mayor, city attorney and city council members. This story will be updated and printed in the Aug. 28 edition of the Herald.
Correction: A previous version of this story indicated that the council voted on a motion of no-confidence; however, no vote was taken at the meeting.
