WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Kechi City Council voted to reduce the mayor’s authority during a tense meeting on Thursday, stripping several powers from the office ahead of Mayor-elect Joanie Harris taking over. The council voted unanimously in favor of doing so.

Council members said Harris has suggested she may fire certain city staff once she’s sworn in, raising concerns about a possible mass resignation.

Under the new rules, the mayor can only suspend the city administrator. Even then, the administrator would be suspended until the next council meeting, when the council decides whether to make that firing final.

Kechi will now be run similarly to Wichita, where the mayor will not focus on day-to-day activities and will focus more on policy matters.

See Full Page