Lee’s Summit City Councilmember Cynda Rader abruptly resigned on Wednesday, saying she could no longer do the job effectively after growing frustration that her perspective, and the views of the residents she represents, were not being given proper respect by her colleagues. City officials said her resignation is effective immediately. The move comes months after she lost a bid for mayor but continued serving on the council.
In a written statement, Rader said, “Throughout my time on the Council, I have worked to ensure that residents’ concerns were heard and thoughtfully considered,” adding that she could “no longer serve effectively in this role,” as reported by The Kansas City Star. According to the outlet, Rader said that staying on the council would mean sharing responsibility for outcomes she could not fully support.
City officials confirmed they had received Rader’s resignation and said the City Council will follow ordinance procedures to appoint “a qualified citizen to fill the vacancy until the next regular municipal election,” in a brief notice posted on the City of Lee’s Summit website. In that statement, Mayor Beto Lopez thanked Rader for her service. The city said Rader emailed her resignation to the city manager, the city attorney and the city clerk.
How the council will fill the seat
The City Charter directs the remaining councilmembers to appoint a successor who will serve until the next regular municipal election, and the council adopted a formal procedure in a 2025 resolution, according to the city’s legislative record on Legistar. The city’s legislative record references a 2025 resolution concerning procedures for filling vacancies, but the Legistar captures provided do not include the full text of that resolution. According to the City of Belton Mo, an October 10, 2023 council agenda shows the council ‘appointed to fill the City Councilmember vacancy in Ward 1 until the April 2024 regular municipal election.’ According to Fairway, KS city documents (REVISED 2/10/2025), the council packet included ‘City Council Vacancy Interviews and Appointment,’ illustrating that some councils use a public interview-and-appointment process on a scheduled agenda. According to the City of Belton, Mo, an October 10, 2023 council agenda shows the council ‘appointed to fill the City Councilmember vacancy in Ward 1 until the April 2024 regular municipal election,’ illustrating one council precedent for filling vacancies by appointment. According to City of Fairway, KS city documents (REVISED 2/10/2025), the council packet included ‘City Council Vacancy Interviews and Appointment,’ showing another example of a public interview-and-appointment process used by councils to fill vacancies. According to RSMo Section 78.460, ‘a special election may be called by the council for the purpose of filling the vacancy, and the person elected at such special election shall serve only for …’ (MO.gov). Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo Section 57.080) state that ‘Such election shall be held on or before the tenth Tuesday after the vacancy occurs.’ (MO.gov)…