Vince Capell started regrowing his mustache just in time.

The mustache nearly missed out on the defining moment of this City Council’s term in office.

Until Thursday night, the height of dysfunction for this city government came two years ago. In a closed meeting discussing Mr. Capell’s contract, Mr. Shearin quit and stormed out.

The irony was rich: Vince’s future was on the line, but Ken resigned. Then he unresigned (that’s not even a word). But not without firing away at Deputy Mayor Mike Hirter and putting Councilman Bill Falkner in the middle.

But Thursday night really put the stamp on these four years.

Here’s the summary: When faced with accepting free money, the city humiliated itself.

Here’s the breakdown:

n City staff in March learned it would receive a half-million in unmarked CDBG dollars via the federal stimulus plan. Documents show Mr. Capell did inform the council of this money, but the council never discussed spending it Downtown, as Mr. Capell proposed.

It starts here. Mr. Capell is a very smart guy, and in my experience he honestly thinks he knows what’s best for St. Joseph. But Mr. Capell is not directly accountable to voters; the City Council is. Rather than defer policy decisions to the council, Mr. Capell often crafts a situation in which the council’s vote seems obvious, logical and necessary.

n In the most recent meeting, Mr. Capell started finger-pointing and lecturing Mayor Shearin.

Being smarter than someone doesn’t mean you can lecture him. Especially when he’s the mayor. Especially when taxpayers have paid your salary for two decades. Especially when the lights and cameras are on.

n Mr. Shearin pointed back, then issued an explicit insult.

Mr. Shearin’s blow-ups are no longer worth the ink to explain. But his blow-ups matter to St. Joseph’s recent past and long-term future.

For one — to be fair to Mr. Capell — it’s hard to trust decisions to a council that is led by an unpredictable man who can’t lead and doesn’t read. Until the city has a smart, efficient mayor, it can’t fairly determine whether Mr. Capell is the source of its problems.

More importantly, when people like Mr. Shearin represent the city, why would anyone with any sense run for office? Why risk the stain?

This council is six months from full campaign mode. After Thursday night, you can close the book on this term.

Mr. Shearin is not running for re-election. Who will run for council?

Not to sound elitist, but wouldn’t it be nice if the council included a lawyer or two, an accountant or three, an engineer or four, another business owner, a church leader and a professor?

I think the community would strongly favor a group of people who promise not to “sweep them out” but to have the intelligence and follow-through to improve a city.

This council could have set aside vast sums for sewer problems, or been stronger in pushing industrial development, or attacked any number of necessary issues.

Thursday was embarrassing and disappointing. It defined an era.

Joe Blumberg is a reporter for the News-Press. He covered City Hall for four years from 2004 to 2008 and now covers the Buchanan County Courthouse. He joined the News-Press in 2003 after graduating from the University of Missouri.