Ann Purzner
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Ann Purzner was the mayor of Overland, Missouri, having been elected by five votes in April 2006.[1] She was the subject of some controversy and was eventually recalled from office.
Immediately after taking office, Mayor Purzner attempted to replace police chief James Herron and city attorney Robert Herman without the consent of the city council.[2][3] Mayor Purzner also ran into trouble over where to hold city council meetings. A group of citizens brought suit, asserting that Mayor Purzner deliberately scheduled the meetings in a room too small to accommodate Overland citizens who wanted to attend, and that this violated Missouri's Sunshine Law.[4]
Mayor Purzner was later found to have misrepresented herself during her mayoral campaign by claiming to have been a registered nurse. Mayor Purzner's false claims were made four years after a 2002 investigation by Missouri's nursing board, which found that Mayor Purzner was a medical assistant who had previously pretended to be a registered nurse and lied about attending the nursing school at Maryville University. At the end of this investigation Mayor Purzner was banned from practicing as or representing herself as a nurse.[2][5]
In May 2006, St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch labeled Mayor Purzner a "liar" with "zero credibility", and sued her for exceeding her power as mayor. A judge later ruled against Mayor Purzner over the dismissal of the police chief and attorney and both were reinstated.[3]