Looking back on the mayoral election of April 5th 2022 ...

Mayor Scott Bigham resigns after 2 months in office

In the April 5, 2022, mayoral election in Macon, Missouri, challenger Scott Bigham defeated incumbent Talt Holman with approximately 58% of the vote (668 to 476).

Key issues that shaped the campaign and contributed to the change in leadership included:

• Infrastructure and Streets: A central point of contention was the perceived neglect of city streets and infrastructure under the previous administration. Voters expressed frustration with long-standing maintenance backlogs, particularly regarding roads and sewage plants.

• Fiscal Accountability: Bigham’s campaign emphasized a business-like approach to city management, categorizing city expenditures into those that "exceed," "meet," or "fail" expectations. He advocated for fully funding high-ROI programs while placing underperforming departments on "probationary status".

• Transparency and Public Engagement: There was a strong community push for increased transparency in how the city was run. This included calls for more frequent town halls and better direct engagement between elected officials and the public to address resident concerns.

• Code Enforcement and City Appearance: Concerns were raised regarding poor code enforcement and a general decline in the appearance of local properties, which some residents felt were being neglected by the city administration.

• Public Safety and Staffing: The election highlighted the need to address shortages in police and fire departments, as well as the necessity for more proactive patrols to combat reckless driving within the city.

Despite these challenges, incumbent Talt Holman pointed to his administration's progress in making the city debt-free (with the exception of two fire trucks) and updating equipment for multiple departments as evidence of fiscal health.

What were Talt Holman's main arguments in the 2022 election?

In the 2022 election, incumbent Talt Holman's campaign focused on his record of

fiscal stability and public safety during his first four years in office.

His primary arguments included:

• Financial Health: Holman emphasized that under his leadership, the city had become largely debt-free, with the exception of financing for two fire trucks. He argued that his administration successfully ran the city "like a business" on a limited budget.

• Public Safety Investment: He highlighted his work to reduce overall city government costs so that more funds could be diverted toward public safety and "backing the blue".

• Infrastructure & Amenities: He pledged to complete the municipal pool and park project during his next term, stressing that he was "stockpiling funds" to ensure the project was done without incurring high interest or maintenance costs for taxpayers.

• Economic Support: He advocated for encouraging residents to "shop local" and argued that his administration was working to ensure those businesses were accessible via "good streets".

Despite these arguments, critics and his opponent, Scott Bigham, pointed to long-standing issues with street maintenance and infrastructure neglect as reasons for a change in leadership.

What were Talt Holman's complaints with the election?

While Talt Holman did not file a formal legal challenge to the 2022 election results, he and his supporters expressed several grievances leading up to and following the vote:

• Financial Disagreements: Holman publicly defended his record against claims of mismanagement, stating that his opponent had misrepresented the city's financial health. He argued that he had inherited a dire financial situation and successfully moved the city toward being "progressively solvent".

• Response to "Status Quo" Criticism: During candidate forums, Holman pushed back against the "status quo" label used by the Bigham campaign. He contended that his version of the status quo was actually one of fiscal responsibility, while his opponent's promises were unrealistic or based on a lack of understanding of city operations.

• Whistleblower Complaint Allegations: Holman faced a 2020 whistleblower complaint alleging that city projects were unfairly awarded to his construction company. Though the State Auditor found no merit to the claims, the issue was frequently brought up by critics during the 2022 cycle, which Holman and his supporters viewed as a politically motivated attack.

• Internal Opposition Concerns: Following the election, the rapid resignation of his successor, Scott Bigham—who cited being "lied to and sidestepped" by the city council—suggested a highly fractured political environment. Holman's supporters pointed to this turmoil as evidence that the "change" voters sought was leading to instability rather than improvement.

Despite losing the mayoral seat in 2022, Holman remained active in local government and was eventually appointed back to the City Council to represent Ward#2.

Why did Scott Bigham resign as mayor in June 2022?

Scott Bigham resigned in June 2022, just two months after taking office, citing an inability to work with the city's administration and council

.

In his resignation letter, Bigham outlined several specific reasons for his departure:

• Hostile Working Environment: He claimed the City Administrator and City Council took "every opportunity to blindside and embarrass" him during public and private meetings.

• Lack of Inclusion: Bigham stated he had been "lied to and sidestepped" on numerous occasions where he felt the mayor should have been involved in decision-making.

• Opposition to Change: He felt his vision for the city was met with "opposition and deceit" at every turn.

• Concerns for Employees: Bigham alleged that city staff were leaving at "record levels" because they felt the administration was out of touch and that certain directives put employees and citizens in danger.

• Reduction of Mayoral Power: He claimed the city was actively trying to limit the mayor's authority by changing ordinances related to the appointment and duties of the city clerk and administrator.

Mayor Pro Tem Tony Petre (who was later appointed mayor) responded to the resignation by stating the council had never been notified of the issues Bigham raised and characterized the claims of being "blindsided" as being based on "feelings".

Macon Mayor Resigns Two Months After Taking Office

Jun 15, 2022 — I have been told that I have no vision and council doesn't know the direction I want to take the city.

Macon City Mayor, Scott Bigham's Letter of Resignation

Jun 16, 2022 — The city workforce is exiting at record levels with more leaving every day and the same story is being heard and repeated as to th...

Macon County Home Press

4 sites

• Macon Mayor Resigns Two Months After Taking Office

  Jun 15, 2022 — I have been told that I have no vision and council doesn't know the direction I want to take the city.

• Macon City Mayor, Scott Bigham's Letter of Resignation

  Jun 16, 2022 — The city workforce is exiting at record levels with more leaving every day.

• New Macon mayor abruptly resigns:

  Jun 15, 2022 — "The administrator and city council have taken every opportunity to blindside and embarrass me at council meetings and other meetings.

  
  

What changes were made to city ordinances to limit the mayor's authority?

The dispute over city ordinances in June 2022 centered on the

redefinition of duties for the City Clerk and City Administrator.

The primary changes and the two opposing interpretations of them were:

• Removal of "Mayor" References: According to Scott Bigham's resignation letter, the city removed the word "Mayor" from several sections of the code, replacing it with "City Council". This change affected who had primary access to city records, budgets, and financial information.

• Centralized Administrative Power: Bigham alleged that wording was added to grant the City Administrator "complete administrative authority" over city government, including direct supervision of all department heads. He claimed this effectively sidestepped the mayor's involvement in daily operations.

• Council’s "Grammatical" Justification: Then-Mayor Pro Tem Tony Petre counter-argued that the changes were merely "clarifying" the roles of a third-class city under Missouri state statute. He stated that since the Mayor is technically a member of the City Council, changing the term from "Mayor and City Council" to just "City Council" was a grammatical correction rather than a removal of power.

• Restrictions on Staff Communication: Bigham expressed frustration that he had been "reprimanded" for meeting with department heads without the City Administrator present, which he viewed as a further de facto limitation on his authority to understand city operations.

  
  

The last general mayoral election in Macon, Missouri took place on April 5, 2022.

• Result: Challenger Scott Bigham defeated the incumbent, Talt Holman.

• Resignation & Appointment: Shortly after taking office, Mayor Bigham resigned in June 2022, having served only two months.

• Current Mayor: Following the resignation, the Macon City Council unanimously appointed Tony Petre (who was then Mayor Pro Tem) as the new mayor on July 12, 2022. Mayor Petre is currently serving the remainder of that four-year term, which runs until April 7th 2026

  
  

While there were local municipal elections on April 8, 2025, these focused on City Council seats for Wards 1 through 4 rather than the mayor's office.

DISCLAIMER: This post was investigated & compiled using "Chat GPT" & "Claude". AI can make mistakes so verify information as needed. This website is for general information & entertainment only.