KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Independence community is still remembering Karen DeLuccie, who died last week after a short battle with cancer.
DeLuccie, a councilwoman for city of Independence, announced she had cancer in February.
At Monday's Independence City Council meeting, a photo of DeLuccie was put in front of the seat where she previously sat.
Residents also handed out white ribbons to those who were in attendance of the meeting to honor DeLuccie.
At the start of the meeting, everyone present took a moment of silence to reflect on her life and legacy.
"We had so memories of times when we could just be asking each other honest questions, getting honest answers, which is what I so appreciated in her as a council member," Laura Domnick, an Independence resident said.
DeLuccie had served on the council since 2014. She also served on the Independence Planning Commission for 16 years.
At their first meeting since her passing, colleagues honored DeLuccie.
"She was always listening and not always disagreeing, but always listened," councilman John Perkins said. "So she is going to be truly missed."
DeLuccie won reelection in the April 5 election and would have been part of Monday's induction ceremony.
Instead, her daughter accepted her election certificate.
Two days after DeLuccie's death, outgoing councilman Mike Huff sued the Jackson County Election Board claiming DeLuccie was incapacitated of her illness and shouldn't have been declared the winner.
"The timing had to be done," Huff said on Monday evening. "It was the state law that I had to file it at that day. [It] has nothing to do with her death or anything else like that.
As the case plays out in court, Rory Rowland, the city's new mayor, promises it will continue to be business as usual.
"You know, I just want to go forward in a positive productive way and this team wants to work together," Rowland said. "In order to be a championship rowing team, you all got to row the boat together. And that's what we plan to do."
The new City Council did introduce a proposal that calls for a special election to find Deluccie's replacement
There wasn't any discussion around it on Monday, but they're expected to take it up again on May 2.
