Marthasville West Ward Alderman Gene Jenkins resigned from office Wednesday, April 15, citing a pending move out of state.

Jenkins was elected to office in 2018, but was not seeking re-election this year. His resignation comes at the same time his term would have ended, if the election for his replacement wasn’t postponed due to COVID-19. A statewide order postponed all local elections from April to June.

“My term would have been up anyway if the election would have happened. So I just decided to resign,” Jenkins told The Record.

He said a factor in the decision is that he and his wife are considering moving out of state. Jenkins added that time commitments to a hobby club in Washington and the Marthasville Fire District prevent him from adequately addressing the concerns of citizens.

Jenkins confirmed his resignation during the regular board of aldermen meeting April 15. The meeting was conducted through video conference.

Jenkins was asked to resign

Several months prior to resigning from office, Jenkins was sent a letter from Mayor David Lange calling for his resignation. The Record acquired copies of this letter from Jenkins and through a public records request to the city of Marthasville.

In the letter, dated Jan. 27, Lange calls for Jenkins to resign after Jenkins entered into a deferred prosecution agreement related to misdemeanor charges against Jenkins.

“The conduct described in the (investigation and charges) is not the conduct that should be engaged in by an Alderman for the City of Marthasville,” Lange wrote.

Jenkins was charged in December 2018 with seven misdemeanor counts of misusing a police database during his time as Marthasville’s police chief. A Missouri Highway Patrol investigation alleged Jenkins had used a state database to research individuals without just cause.

Jenkins was removed as police chief in May 2017, when the board of aldermen voted to dissolve the city’s police department entirely. Lange at the time cited financial savings as a primary reason for the decision.

A month later, city officials reported Jenkins’ alleged misuse of the database, according to documents newly provided to The Record.

Jenkins entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with Special Prosecutor Alex Ellison in December 2019, according to a copy of the agreement provided to The Record.

The agreement states that Jenkins will not be prosecuted as long as he gives up his police license and doesn’t run for public office for a year.

The agreement did not require Jenkins to resign from office. However, Ellison told The Record the original intent was for Jenkins to leave office in April when his term expired.

“The parties agreed that in order to satisfy the original intent of the agreement ... that Mr. Jenkins would resign at the April 15 meeting,” Ellison said.

DeVore appointed

After acknowledging Jenkins’ resignation April 15, Mayor Lange asked the remaining members of the board of aldermen to appoint a replacement for the remaining two months of Jenkins’ term. Lange nominated former Alderman Christopher DeVore, who is the only candidate seeking the West Ward seat in the June election.

“In case we have an illness or something happens where one person couldn’t make it, we wouldn’t have a quorum,” without a fourth alderman, Lange said.

Alderman Nick Lange motioned, and Alderman Dan Grafrath seconded, to appoint DeVore to the seat. Board members confirmed the appointment by a voice vote with no objections.

Lange said DeVore would be sworn into office within the next week.