Mark Funkhouser
Encyclopedia
Mark Funkhouser (ˈfʌŋk.haʊzər; born October 4, 1949) is a former mayor
of Kansas City, Missouri
, serving one four-year term from May 1, 2007 until May 2, 2011. Prior to serving as the city's mayor, Funkhouser served as Kansas City's city auditor.
and graduated from Paden City High School
. He stands at 6-foot 8 inches tall. He earned his B.A.
in Political Science
from Thiel College
, his M.A.
in Business Administration from Tennessee State University
, M.A.
in Social Work from West Virginia University
and his Ph.D.
from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas
.He became the Kansas city auditor in 1988 and relinquished his post in 2006.
Funkhouser's campaign motto was "A city that works for regular folks." He had campaigned on a promise to pay more attention to neighborhoods and to end corrupt TIF
deals with special-interest developers. During his mayoral campaign in 2007, he became known by the citizens of Kansas City by his childhood nickname, "The Funk".
During the campaign, Funkhouser wore an orange tie in reference to the Ukraine
Orange Revolution
and as a symbol of his desire for change. From his campaign website: "I've chosen orange as my official campaign color because it is fast becoming a symbol for change in politics – a shift away from back-room deal making and toward an open style of governance that respects and listens to citizens." Funkhouser was also critical of project spending during the Kay Barnes
administration. In a KCTV
interview he said, "We've been buying stuff," he said. "What we don't know is whether what we bought is what is worth what we paid for it."
while cleaning up local government received national headlines early in his administration when Funkhouser announced his intention to accept a new leased Honda Civic Hybrid
from a Northland auto dealer. The city's law department approved the offer, which would have been reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Funkhouser believed that by being transparent about the transaction, he could avoid any appearance of impropriety and save the city $160,000 a year by rejecting the city-owned car, with its attendant driver and police security detail. However, critics questioned whether such a gift was ethical. City Councilman John Sharp said "It sure doesn't pass the smell test...It's nice that the mayor is providing so much free publicity to a foreign auto company." Funkhouser eventually rejected the hybrid, choosing instead to drive his privately owned vehicle himself.
. Critics insisted that Semler resign the board or the Minutemen. This controversy attracted national attention, prompting two national civil rights organizations (La Raza
and the NAACP
) to withdraw their conventions from Kansas City in protest of Funkhouser's refusal to ask for Semler's resignation from an organization they call a "hate group."
Funkhouser's supporters say Funkhouser believes that "diversity" encompasses not only skin color but also opinion, and they point to another commissioner, Ajamu Webster, who founded the local National Black United Front
(NBUF), an organization advocating reparations and separatist education for blacks. They note that the Southern Rights Coalition doesn't consider the Minutemen a "hate group." They also claim Semler's personal views on immigration are not germane to her professional service as a parks commissioner.
. Upon his election, Funkhouser's wife, Gloria Squitiro, a doula
by trade, took a desk near his office within City Hall, held meetings with city employees and elected officials, supervised city employees within the mayor's office, and took on a "gatekeeper" role regarding access to the mayor.
Funkhouser has stated that he and his wife are a "political team." He asserts that it is squarely within his authority to hire his staff at his sole discretion, and Squitiro merely serves as a volunteer in his office.
Critics say her participation in her husband's administration is a clear violation of the Missouri Constitution's "Nepotism Clause" http://www.moga.mo.gov/const/A07006.HTM. The City Council passed an ordinance (the only nay vote being Funkhouser's) intended to ban certain types of volunteers from serving at City Hall, effectively barring Squitiro from the premises. In response, Funkhouser began conducting city business from his home in the Brookside
area, and holding meetings in public libraries. Funkhouser filed suit against the city, claiming the "volunteer ordinance" is illegal. Critics argue that Funkhouser is barred from bringing suit against the city as part of his employment contract.
Other controversies surrounding Squitiro stemmed from a variety of reports accusing her of bizarre and unprofessional behavior at City Hall, and inappropriate interactions with city employees, including allegations of racism and inappropriate sexual comments. A mayoral aide who had been a longtime friend of the Funkhousers filed a lawsuit in the summer of 2007 accusing Squitiro of making racist comments, including referring to the plaintiff as "mammy." The controversy was dubbed "Mammy-gate" by the local media. Squitiro claimed she routinely gave affectionate nicknames to staffers, and the "mammy" comment was a misunderstanding arising from Squitiro's childlike inclination to add the "ee" sound to common words like "Ma'am." Squitiro also acknowledged making sexual innuendos but only as was accepted as common banter among the office staff. The lawsuit caused the Kansas City Star to retract its endorsement of Funkhouser bestowed during the mayoral campaign. Squitiro's insurance company eventually paid a settlement to the plaintiff against Funkhouser's wishes. Funkhouser then attacked the plaintiff in the press as an opportunistic turncoat.
Recently, Squitiro's notes in contemplation of a published memoir covering a period of July 2008 through January 2009 were made public. . Squitiro's attorney maintains the document was discovered on the mayor's city-owned computer in the course of the "Mammygate" case, but this allegation has been disputed.
A Kansas City Star editorial said the diary "paints a distressing and embarrassing picture of Squitiro’s involvement in affairs inside and outside City Hall. Over 35 pages, Squitiro belittles key City Council members, reveals her anger at perceived slights and illustrates her deep involvement in running a highly dysfunctional mayoral staff." Elsewhere in the profanity-laced document, Squitiro calls Kansas City a 'backward, Podunk
city,' admits physically beating Mayor Funkhouser, and discusses her loathing of, and schemes against, members of the City Council. For example, Squitiro writes, “I despise [Councilwoman] Jan Marcason with a vigor and an energy that knows no bounds. I will work to show the woman for what she really is — a complete phony.”
The document offers some insights into the mayor's state of mind, such as, “Funk woke up weary today. He feels that this isn’t a term of office, but a sentence.”
Squitiro was also derided for her authorship of a widely circulated holiday letter intended for friends and family 2007 that recounted Funkhouser's prostate exam in excruciating detail, her delight in observing her husband's discomfort, and her experience being subject to his subsequent sexual aggressiveness. The letter was dubbed by a Newsweek editor as the "Best Christmas letter in the history of Christmas letters."
of Funkhouser, claiming he "violated the city's volunteer ordinance and nepotism rules."Due to the discovery of multitudinous falsified signatures, the group fell short of the necessary total and was awarded a 10-day extension to collect the remaining signatures.Ultimately, the drive fell short of its required signatures and was abandoned. Criminal charges were never filed for the falsified signatures.
in 1924 not to serve at least two terms.
player, Funkhouser celebrated his election night party at the Westport Flea Market, a neighborhood tavern where he regularly meets with the Westport Chess Club to play.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, serving one four-year term from May 1, 2007 until May 2, 2011. Prior to serving as the city's mayor, Funkhouser served as Kansas City's city auditor.
Early life and education
Funkhouser grew up in Paden City, West VirginiaPaden City, West Virginia
Paden City is a city in Tyler and Wetzel Counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,860 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paden City is located at ....
and graduated from Paden City High School
Paden City High School
Paden City High School is a 7-12 grade, class A high school in Wetzel County, West Virginia in the small town of Paden City.Paden City High School opened its doors as a 9-12 school in 1951 and in 1952, PCHS had its first graduating class. PCHS continually is recognized for outstanding academic...
. He stands at 6-foot 8 inches tall. He earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Thiel College
Thiel College
Thiel College is a private, liberal arts, sciences and professional studies college related to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Thiel provides affordable high-quality college experience with dedicated faculty, numerous leadership opportunities and a wide variety of student activities and...
, his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Business Administration from Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
, M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Social Work from West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Early Career
Funkhouser contributed to Local Government Auditing Quarterly and taught at Park UniversityPark University
Park University is an independent, private institution of higher education based in Parkville, Missouri. Established in 1875 as a small church-related college, it has now expanded into an electronic learning institution and provider of education courses for the U.S...
, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
.He became the Kansas city auditor in 1988 and relinquished his post in 2006.
2007 mayoral race
Announcing his candidacy for mayor of Kansas City, Missouri in late 2006, Funkhouser was eventually endorsed by the Kansas City Star and emerged as one of two candidates following the February mayoral primary fielding 13 candidates.Funkhouser won the mayoral election on March 27, 2007.Funkhouser's campaign motto was "A city that works for regular folks." He had campaigned on a promise to pay more attention to neighborhoods and to end corrupt TIF
Tax increment financing
Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a public financing method which has been used as a subsidy for redevelopment and community improvement projects in many countries including the United States for more than 50 years...
deals with special-interest developers. During his mayoral campaign in 2007, he became known by the citizens of Kansas City by his childhood nickname, "The Funk".
During the campaign, Funkhouser wore an orange tie in reference to the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
and as a symbol of his desire for change. From his campaign website: "I've chosen orange as my official campaign color because it is fast becoming a symbol for change in politics – a shift away from back-room deal making and toward an open style of governance that respects and listens to citizens." Funkhouser was also critical of project spending during the Kay Barnes
Kay Barnes
Kay Waldo Barnes is a former two-term mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. She was the Democratic nominee for of the United States House of Representatives in the 2008 election against Republican incumbent Sam Graves.-Biography:...
administration. In a KCTV
KCTV
KCTV channel 5 is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Kansas City Metropolitan Area that is licensed to the Missouri side. Owned by the Meredith Corporation, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate KSMO-TV and the two share facilities on Shawnee Mission Parkway KCTV channel 5 is...
interview he said, "We've been buying stuff," he said. "What we don't know is whether what we bought is what is worth what we paid for it."
Free automobile
Implementation of Funkhouser's campaign pledges of fiscal conservatismFiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
while cleaning up local government received national headlines early in his administration when Funkhouser announced his intention to accept a new leased Honda Civic Hybrid
Honda Civic Hybrid
The Civic hybrid, based on the seventh generation Civic, was first introduced to the Japanese market in December 2001. Honda claimed it was the most fuel efficient 5-passenger gasoline-powered production vehicle in the world at the time. It was introduced to the U.S. in spring 2002 as a 2003 model...
from a Northland auto dealer. The city's law department approved the offer, which would have been reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Funkhouser believed that by being transparent about the transaction, he could avoid any appearance of impropriety and save the city $160,000 a year by rejecting the city-owned car, with its attendant driver and police security detail. However, critics questioned whether such a gift was ethical. City Councilman John Sharp said "It sure doesn't pass the smell test...It's nice that the mayor is providing so much free publicity to a foreign auto company." Funkhouser eventually rejected the hybrid, choosing instead to drive his privately owned vehicle himself.
Minutemen controversy
Funkhouser became embroiled in another controversy when it was discovered his appointed co-commissioner for the Parks and Recreation Board Frances Semler was a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense CorpsMinuteman Civil Defense Corps
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps is a volunteer group headed by Chris Simcox and dedicated to preventing illegal crossings of the United States border. Arguing that the government is insufficiently concerned with securing the U.S. border, they have organized several state chapters, with the...
. Critics insisted that Semler resign the board or the Minutemen. This controversy attracted national attention, prompting two national civil rights organizations (La Raza
National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza is a non-profit and non-partisan advocacy group in the United States, focused on improving opportunities for Hispanics. It is sometimes confused with La Raza Unida...
and the NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
) to withdraw their conventions from Kansas City in protest of Funkhouser's refusal to ask for Semler's resignation from an organization they call a "hate group."
Funkhouser's supporters say Funkhouser believes that "diversity" encompasses not only skin color but also opinion, and they point to another commissioner, Ajamu Webster, who founded the local National Black United Front
National Black United Front
The National Black United Front is an African-American organization formed in the late 1970s in Brooklyn, New York. Its headquarters are in South Shore, Chicago, Illinois....
(NBUF), an organization advocating reparations and separatist education for blacks. They note that the Southern Rights Coalition doesn't consider the Minutemen a "hate group." They also claim Semler's personal views on immigration are not germane to her professional service as a parks commissioner.
Gloria Squitiro
Another ongoing controversy surrounding Funkhouser involves his wife's participation in his administration, which attracted national attention from the Wall Street Journal and Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. Upon his election, Funkhouser's wife, Gloria Squitiro, a doula
Doula
A Doula is someone who provides non-medical support to women and their families during labour and childbirth, and also the postpartum period. The term can also be used to describe other supportive roles for other life events such as abortion, death and more....
by trade, took a desk near his office within City Hall, held meetings with city employees and elected officials, supervised city employees within the mayor's office, and took on a "gatekeeper" role regarding access to the mayor.
Funkhouser has stated that he and his wife are a "political team." He asserts that it is squarely within his authority to hire his staff at his sole discretion, and Squitiro merely serves as a volunteer in his office.
Critics say her participation in her husband's administration is a clear violation of the Missouri Constitution's "Nepotism Clause" http://www.moga.mo.gov/const/A07006.HTM. The City Council passed an ordinance (the only nay vote being Funkhouser's) intended to ban certain types of volunteers from serving at City Hall, effectively barring Squitiro from the premises. In response, Funkhouser began conducting city business from his home in the Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
area, and holding meetings in public libraries. Funkhouser filed suit against the city, claiming the "volunteer ordinance" is illegal. Critics argue that Funkhouser is barred from bringing suit against the city as part of his employment contract.
Other controversies surrounding Squitiro stemmed from a variety of reports accusing her of bizarre and unprofessional behavior at City Hall, and inappropriate interactions with city employees, including allegations of racism and inappropriate sexual comments. A mayoral aide who had been a longtime friend of the Funkhousers filed a lawsuit in the summer of 2007 accusing Squitiro of making racist comments, including referring to the plaintiff as "mammy." The controversy was dubbed "Mammy-gate" by the local media. Squitiro claimed she routinely gave affectionate nicknames to staffers, and the "mammy" comment was a misunderstanding arising from Squitiro's childlike inclination to add the "ee" sound to common words like "Ma'am." Squitiro also acknowledged making sexual innuendos but only as was accepted as common banter among the office staff. The lawsuit caused the Kansas City Star to retract its endorsement of Funkhouser bestowed during the mayoral campaign. Squitiro's insurance company eventually paid a settlement to the plaintiff against Funkhouser's wishes. Funkhouser then attacked the plaintiff in the press as an opportunistic turncoat.
Recently, Squitiro's notes in contemplation of a published memoir covering a period of July 2008 through January 2009 were made public. . Squitiro's attorney maintains the document was discovered on the mayor's city-owned computer in the course of the "Mammygate" case, but this allegation has been disputed.
A Kansas City Star editorial said the diary "paints a distressing and embarrassing picture of Squitiro’s involvement in affairs inside and outside City Hall. Over 35 pages, Squitiro belittles key City Council members, reveals her anger at perceived slights and illustrates her deep involvement in running a highly dysfunctional mayoral staff." Elsewhere in the profanity-laced document, Squitiro calls Kansas City a 'backward, Podunk
Podunk
In American English, Podunk, podunk, or Podunk Hollow denotes or describes a place of small size or "in the middle of nowhere", and is often used in the upper case as a placeholder name in a context of dismissing significance or importance....
city,' admits physically beating Mayor Funkhouser, and discusses her loathing of, and schemes against, members of the City Council. For example, Squitiro writes, “I despise [Councilwoman] Jan Marcason with a vigor and an energy that knows no bounds. I will work to show the woman for what she really is — a complete phony.”
The document offers some insights into the mayor's state of mind, such as, “Funk woke up weary today. He feels that this isn’t a term of office, but a sentence.”
Squitiro was also derided for her authorship of a widely circulated holiday letter intended for friends and family 2007 that recounted Funkhouser's prostate exam in excruciating detail, her delight in observing her husband's discomfort, and her experience being subject to his subsequent sexual aggressiveness. The letter was dubbed by a Newsweek editor as the "Best Christmas letter in the history of Christmas letters."
2009 Recall
In 2009, the Funkhouser Recall Petition Drive attempted to organize a recall electionRecall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
of Funkhouser, claiming he "violated the city's volunteer ordinance and nepotism rules."Due to the discovery of multitudinous falsified signatures, the group fell short of the necessary total and was awarded a 10-day extension to collect the remaining signatures.Ultimately, the drive fell short of its required signatures and was abandoned. Criminal charges were never filed for the falsified signatures.
2011 election
Funkhouser finished third in the 2011 mayoral primary, with 21 percent of the vote. This made him the first mayor since Frank H. CromwellFrank H. Cromwell
Frank Houghton Cromwell Frank Houghton Cromwell Frank Houghton Cromwell (April 22, 1878 - April 14, 1955 was Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 1922 to 1923.He was born on a farm at 39th and Harrison He was surveyor for "Tuttle & Pike, engineers," became a salesman for the W. I...
in 1924 not to serve at least two terms.
Personal life
He is also a professional speaker. An avid chessChess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player, Funkhouser celebrated his election night party at the Westport Flea Market, a neighborhood tavern where he regularly meets with the Westport Chess Club to play.
External links
- Official Webpage Office of the Mayor
- Funkhouser & Co. Funkhouser & Co.
- 2011 Campaign Website Reelect Mayor Funkhouser