ST. LOUIS — Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul was reinstated to his position today via a temporary court order in which Circuit Court Judge David Lee Vincent III found that Paul “may have been improperly removed as Mayor by City Council.”
While the order is temporary pending an administrative hearing, Paul’s reinstatement is immediate.
“Right now, I’m soaking it all in,” Paul told The Missouri Times. “The charges have been dropped but the damage has been done.”
Paul said the character attacks have put a significant stress on him and his family during the last four months, but ultimately he’s glad it’s over.
One of the biggest advocates against Paul during the rulings was Councilman Matt Pirrello, said earlier during the year that he would resign if Paul was reinstated.
“You realize that reinstatement isn’t permanent, right?” Pirrello said to The Missouri Times. “I have no intentions of doing anything until there is a final position.”
Pirrello said he has yet to review the court order and that he’s waiting to hear back from the Council’s attorneys on the issue.
Paul said shortly after he was reinstated he learned that Pirrello has called for a special Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Pirrello said the meeting was scheduled prior to the court order and the agenda consists of personnel matters, but has nothing to do with Paul’s reinstatement.
Paul told The Missouri Times that prior to his removal, he intended to attempt to remove the City Attorney, Paul Martin, which Paul said was then used against him during his hearings.
“One of the charges for impeachment was that I wanted to let him go for cost-savings, and that’s not true,” Paul said. “I felt his advice was one-sided and he said inappropriate things to me.”
Paul said he can’t unilaterally make the decision to remove Martin now, but rather that the Council would have to act as a whole.
“I would absolutely support that action, but I can’t speak on behalf of the Council,” Paul said. “I would hope that Paul Martin, if my stay is permanent, that he would be removed.”
Paul said that moving forward the first thing on his agenda is getting the City of Ellisville’s name “out of the mud.”
“The whole debacle has caused the city well over six figures,” he said. “It’s an epic waste of my time, my energy, and the city and taxpayer’s dollars.”
Paul said he’d classify his current approval rating at about 90 percent, saying all of the calls and emails he has received since the hearings and before have been positive and encouraging.
The order reinstating Paul is temporary pending further administrative action.
The Missouri Times will update you when there’s more information.
Ashley Jost is no longer with The Missouri Times. She worked as the executive editor for several months, and a reporter before that.