Monroe City Council Censures Mayor After “Repeated Pattern Of Unethical Conduct”

MONROE, N.C. – Heated discussion at Tuesday’s Monroe City Council meeting. Five members voted to censure Mayor Robert Burns. It comes two weeks after he surprised his colleagues with a proclamation to recognize the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Council member Gary Anderson tells WCCB Charlotte’s Emma Mondo the surprise proclamation was the final straw in a series of unethical and unbecoming behavior from the mayor.

“It started with him making a comment calling people that did not agree with him ‘narcissistic beta males’ and ‘snowflakes’,” said Anderson. He goes on, “He (Burns) made a comment that he eats bullies for breakfast.”

Anderson says the mayor also listed City Hall’s address and phone number as a National Day of Prayer contact, endorsed two political candidates, and now this proclamation.

Two city council members voted against the censure; the mayor himself, and Mayor Pro-Tem, David Dotson. “Removing the mayor’s ability to issue proclamations essentially limits his and his supporters ability to voice their opinions,” said Dotson in Tuesday’s meeting.

The first version of Burns’ proclamation included numerous Christian references that city attorneys advised Burns to remove. He says he agreed to the revised version after he prayed about it.

“I take full responsibility of what I did, and I’m honored and I will not take it back, and I don’t regret it at all,” Burns told Mondo on Wednesday.

After the vote to censure him, Burns posted online in part, “A  line in the sand has been drawn. Unfortunately, it had to be done this way.”

“You might be able to get to other elected officials all around this country, but you’re not going to get to me. You can’t buy me. You can’t bully me. I’m not that type of person,” Burns said.

Burns, who is serving a two year term, tells WCCB he will continue to follow his Christian faith when it comes to politics. Burns won the race for mayor in a coin toss after he and an opponent got the same number of votes last November: 970.