Monroe City Council Votes No Confidence in Mayor Burns, Replaces Mayor Pro Tem

The Monroe City Council voted to express 'no confidence' in Mayor Robert Burns, citing concerns over his leadership, communication, and repeated use of city resources to share personal political views. The 5-2 symbolic vote followed accusations that Burns failed to notify the council about partisan election legislation, misused city branding, and struggled to maintain order during meetings, all of which Burns has denied. In the same meeting, the council voted 4-3 to remove Mayor Pro Tem David Dotson and replace him with Council member Surluta Anthony, a move Dotson and Burns argued was politically motivated. The no-confidence vote comes after a series of controversies involving Burns, including divisive social media statements about immigration enforcement and the anniversary of Roe v. Wade's reversal, for which he was previously censured. Burns has called the accusations baseless and dismissed the vote as a political hit, maintaining he did not conceal information from the council and that his communications followed city policy. The vote does not remove Burns from office but underscores deep divisions and ongoing political turmoil within Monroe's city government.