Kansas City Council votes to remove suspended city manager Brian Platt
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City will be looking for a new city manager. The city council has voted unanimously to remove Brian Platt, who had been recently suspended.
In a city council meeting on Thursday, members of the council voted 13-0. The acting city manager, Kimiko Gilmore, will remain in the role for the time being.
Platt said he wanted to stay on as city manager, but it's out of his hands. He was suspended on March 6, one day after the city lost a lawsuit filed by its former communications director.
Former Kansas City communications director Chris Hernandez sued the city, claiming Platt instructed him and other staff members to lie to the media.
Hernandez was awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars as other former city employees also detailed a hostile work environment while working for Platt.
Mayor Quinton Lucas hired Platt four years ago. Last year, when the city of Austin tried to get him to leave KC, the City Council extended his contract.
He said at that time, they knew about the lawsuit, so the suspension and threat of losing his job after losing the lawsuit surprised him.
In an exclusive interview with FOX4, he said he's faced animosity from city staff since he was hired since many wanted a Black, female city manager, not a white male.
'This is not a new moment. There's been an animosity toward me since I even started. During the hiring process. And city manager jobs are really tough, you know,' Platt said.
'There's a lot of people who are unhappy and frustrated with you, with the decisions you make. It's very hard to get consensus for anything. Ever.'
He said over the past four years, he's improved the culture at City Hall and made major improvements to trash service, roads, and snow removal. He claims he never told his staff to lie to the media.
'I never asked anybody to lie,' Platt said. 'I'm not sure I can comment too much further on litigation, but absolutely not.'
This is a developing story that FOX4 will continue to update.
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