KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Changes are coming for the Independence City Council after voters took to the polls for Tuesday's recall election of John Perkins.
About 68% of voters were in favor of Perkins' recall, while nearly 32% voted to keep Perkins on the City Council.
The City of Independence provided a statement to KSHB 41 News regarding the recall of Perkins, which reads below.
Based on the unofficial results of today’s special election, voters in the First District have voted to recall Councilmember John Perkins.
The recall becomes effective once the election results are certified and provided to the City Clerk. At that time, the City will begin the process required by the City Charter to hold a special election to fill the vacancy.
The City respects the decision of voters and will remain focused on providing services, supporting residents and moving Independence forward.
The effort to recall Perkins began after the city council voted to approve a massive data-center project last March, with Perkins among the supporters.
Perkins voted to approve a 400-acre hyperscale AI data factory that a Dutch technology company, Nebius, will lease from the city.
Perkins had been elected to the Independence City Council five times since 1996 and had represented Independence's 1st District since 2016.
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