Rules of Procedure in June 2025<\/a>. The document assigns the mayor responsibility for maintaining order and decorum and includes provisions aimed at preventing attacks on personalities and the impugning of motives. Koulias was among the commissioners who voted to adopt the rules.<\/p>\nKoulias rejected the argument that his criticism justified removing him from the leadership position. During debate over Weaver\u2019s motion, he accused her and Eisner of acting together against him and argued that elected officials must be able to criticize one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we as board members can\u2019t criticize our fellow commissioners, well then we\u2019re running a dictator,\u201d Koulias said.<\/p>\n
Banther found himself caught between objections to Koulias\u2019 conduct and reservations about removing him. During the meeting, he offered to vote against the motion if Koulias apologized to Weaver for calling her a space cadet.<\/p>\n
Koulias responded, \u201cI\u2019ll apologize, but her actions need to speak towards being nice towards people. So, I do apologize for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Banther rejected the qualification, saying an apology was lost \u201cas soon as you say but.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dispute over Koulias\u2019 attendance also became part of the debate. Eisner criticized him for missing meetings and argued that he had failed to fulfill the responsibilities he believed came with serving as vice mayor. But Eisner also acknowledged during the meeting that the rest of the board had approved Koulias\u2019 absence for two meetings, while Eisner had opposed it. Eisner said Koulias then extended his time away and missed an additional budget meeting.<\/p>\n
In a follow-up email to the Catalyst Tuesday, Koulias said he traveled to Greece to accompany his mother back to the country for the first time in 40 years and that his absences had been approved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had excused absences they agreed to,\u201d Koulias wrote. He accused Weaver and Eisner of criticizing him while he was gone \u201cknowing I would respond.\u201d<\/p>\n
After lengthy debate over the motion and procedure, commissioners voted. Weaver and Eisner supported removing Koulias as vice mayor. Banther, Koulias and Koulianos opposed it, defeating the motion 3-2.<\/p>\n
The vote would not have removed Koulias from his elected commission seat. Commissioners select a vice mayor annually to preside over meetings when the mayor is absent.<\/p>\n
The fight over the position unfolded against another political question hanging over the board: whether Koulias will leave his commission seat to run for mayor. During debate over his removal, Koulias acknowledged the possibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are rumors of me possibly resigning and running for mayor,\u201d Koulias said during the meeting. \u201cI may just stick here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Banther also raised the prospect during the live debate, saying he assumed Koulias would resign in October to run for mayor. Banther said he would rather become vice mayor \u201corganically\u201d in that circumstance than receive the position through Koulias\u2019 removal.<\/p>\n
In his Tuesday email to the Catalyst, Koulias said he has not decided whether to run and said he has until Oct. 2 to make that decision. He also alleged that the attempted removal was connected to the possibility of a mayoral campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis whole demotion was about tarnishing my name if I resigned in the near future,\u201d Koulias wrote.<\/p>\n
The failed vote did not leave a clean divide between commissioners who supported Koulias and those who opposed him. Banther voted against removing him despite condemning his remarks toward Weaver. Koulianos also voted against removal before using his own commissioner comments to confront Koulias over what the mayor described as a broader pattern of conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had more than our share of drama,\u201d Koulianos said during the meeting. \u201cThis stuff has got to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hostility did not end when the meeting did.<\/p>\n
In a separate written response to the Catalyst, Koulias accused Weaver and Eisner of mounting a \u201cpre planned, coordinated, and coerced attack\u201d against him and said their actions gave the appearance of a Sunshine Law violation. Koulias said he does not intend to seek an investigation.<\/p>\n
Weaver declined to expand on the confrontation in a follow-up email to the Catalyst, instead pointing to what occurred publicly during the meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you watched the meeting you will have seen the disparaging remarks which led me to fall upon the rules of Procedure which governs our body,\u201d Weaver wrote. \u201cThe meeting speaks for itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eisner, in a separate interview with the Catalyst, rejected Koulias\u2019 allegation that the effort was coordinated and described the confrontation as part of a longer-running series of disputes involving Koulias and other members of the commission.<\/p>\n
Banther offered a more measured assessment in his own follow-up email. Despite describing the proceedings as a \u201cJerry Springer show\u201d during the meeting and objecting to Koulias\u2019 treatment of Weaver, he ultimately voted against removing him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMatters like this do not always have a clear line that can be drawn,\u201d Banther wrote. \u201cWhile the rules may appear black and white, their application can often involve shades of gray in such matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koulianos declined an opportunity to comment further to the Catalyst. But after voting against Koulias\u2019 removal Aug. 25, the mayor made clear from the dais that his vote should not be mistaken for approval of Koulias\u2019 conduct.<\/p>\n
Koulianos said the board had experienced \u201cmore than our share of drama\u201d during meetings, outside them and elsewhere at City Hall, and warned that he had reached \u201czero tolerance\u201d for personal insults and attacks on commissioners\u2019 motives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis stuff has got to stop,\u201d Koulianos said. \u201cYou have to admit that, when you have any reflection, that your behavior has not always been appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, with the vote over and Koulias still vice mayor, Koulianos acknowledged his own uncertainty about the decision he had just made.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still torn right now whether I should have or not voted for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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