The Scott City Council voted Tuesday to increase the city's police personnel board five to six members and divided it equally by political party affiliation.

The 5-3 vote followed a pattern that has been developing in the voting of the council members over controversial issues, with Brenda Moyers, Norman Brant and Fred Lange opposing the majority.

The restructuring of the police board has been just such an issue since the wife of council member J.T. Gulley was appointed to the board several weeks ago, making it a six-member commission even without the new amendment.

The amendment divides the new six-member board evenly between the two largest political parties, presumably Republican and Democratic. Police personnel board vice chairman Lloyd Young voiced his objection to the amendment at the meeting, saying the state of Missouri has a large independent contingency and that declaration of political party is not required for voting.

"My appointment (to the board) was not contingent upon declaring anything," said Young, who is an independent. "I've already been appointed, I'm already there, so any ordinance they pass now does not affect the police personnel board as it is."

Gulley, Marsha Zimmerman, Teresa Crump, Gary Miller and Cindy Uhrhan approved the amendment, which will bring the city's code in compliance with state statutes.

Brant asked why the ordinance needed changing now when "it has always worked the way it is." Mayor Jerry Cummins replied that the ordinance needed to be updated to reflect state statutes.

Moyers, saying she understands the state statute the mayor was referring to is considered obsolete and unenforcible, also questioned the need to change the ordinance. The discussion was halted when Zimmerman called for a vote.

"This is black and white," she said. "We can wriggle around this all we want to tonight but it can't be any more black and white -- lets vote."

Young indicated that the amendment might be a political move to try to force him off the board.

"But I'm not leaving, they'll have to vote me off," he said, adding none of the other current board members will declare a party affiliation. "It's not a good law. You aren't going to have an impartial vote with an equal number. One guy is going to be selected as chairman and a chairman only gets to vote in case of a tie. There's never a tie if you've got three and two votes."