Nisswa City Council Holds Special Meeting to Discuss Mayor’s Conduct

Nisswa Mayor Jennifer Carnahan (Contributed)

The Nisswa City Council held a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the public conduct of Mayor Jennifer Carnahan after alleged incidents with a constituent last month.

Carnahan allegedly was overheard speaking to members of the community about city councilor Jesse Zahn. A constituent later emailed Carnahan about this incident, saying that the overheard discussion was “hostile and rude,” and called for Carnahan to make an apology. Carnahan later denied the hostile nature of the conversation.

In the following days, the constituent ran into the mayor in downtown Nisswa, where Carnahan alleged that she was assaulted by the constituent during their interaction. The case was referred to the city prosecutor, but no charges were pursued.

“I called a special meeting because of the situation we’re dealing with up here in the City of Nisswa,” said council member Bruce London to Lakeland News. “Unfortunately, recently, there’s been a couple of situations that have arisen, and I called the meeting today to deal with the negativity and this toxic situation that we’re currently dealing with. We’re going to move forward, get into the next year, and put these problems behind us.”

Mayor Carnahan did not attend the meeting but provided a statement to us, which reads in full:

“This morning, I chose not to attend the special council meeting because it appeared clear from the start that it was just going to be political theater. What unfolded confirmed exactly that: a coordinated effort to use official city business as a platform for political retaliation against me as the Mayor who has consistently fought to protect taxpayers from unnecessary tax increases and wasteful spending.

“No evidence of wrongdoing was presented. No specific code violations were identified before the meeting was called. No due process was offered. Instead, residents and council members aired personal opinions and political disagreements under the guise of official concern.

“This sets a dangerous precedent: the council is punishing an elected official for reporting to police that she was physically pushed. By praising the person who physically pushed me as “courageous” because of her political alignment, they have signaled that accountability is secondary to political loyalty.

“The contrast is telling. When code violations occurred in the past, there were no special meetings or public spectacles. However, when I raised oppositional concerns about a concerted push to cost our residents more money by advancing a ½% local option sales tax—which the business community has also largely opposed—or questioned budget expansion and spending transparency, suddenly there’s an urgent need for a public reckoning.

“If this were truly about accountability, the council would have identified specific code violations before calling a special meeting—not adjourned to search through the code afterward after the city attorney advised them it was necessary for a censure. Dragging this out to another meeting under the pretense of “further discussion” proves this is a political exercise, not legitimate governance.

“I was elected by the voters of Nisswa, not by this council. I will not resign, I will not be bullied, and I will not stop doing the job voters sent me here to do. Any censure will be exactly what it is: a political stunt with no impact on my commitment to serve.

“I’m proud to fight for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability – even when it means standing alone. While it’s predictable yet unfortunate the city council has chosen this path, I will keep working alongside the citizens of our wonderful city to lower costs, protect taxpayers, and provide principled, transparent leadership.”

The council members in attendance unanimously voted to pursue a potential vote of no confidence in Mayor Carnahan. Further discussion is expected at next week’s regularly scheduled council meeting.