The mayor of a west St. Louis County municipality has shown repeatedly, and recently, that a community doesn't have to be poor or small to be dysfunctional.

Mayor Bob Nation of Chesterfield, a large and prosperous community by most standards, is unwittingly making a good case for municipal consolidation. In the past two years he has looked at seceding from St. Louis County because he doesn't like the formula for distributing sales tax revenue, battled with city officials, launched into profanity-laced tirades, threatened and intimidated employees and been censured for his conduct.