KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The wife of Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser may no longer be able to volunteer in her husband's office.

Kansas City's City Council passed an ordinance Thursday that prohibits relatives of elected officials from working as volunteers in their offices, but it was unclear when the ordinance was to take effect.

Twelve City Council members vote for the ordinance. Only the mayor voted against it.

The mayor's wife, Gloria Squitiro, spends about 20 to 30 hours per week in his office as an unpaid volunteer, according to Funkhouser.

"I do take this personally. I am willing to go quite a ways to reach out, and I know that I haven't done that well enough, but ... I think the passage of this ordinance, making us the only city in the country to do something like this, has the effect of endangering the relationship between the mayor and the council, and I don't think that that is a good thing," Funkhouser said.

Councilmember Jann Marcason introduced the ordinance because of an ongoing lawsuit involving Squitiro. The lawsuit, filed by a former city employee, claims Squitiro used sexist and racially discriminating remarks against her.

Council members said the issue of volunteers had been on the table far too long.

Councilmember Terry Riley said the ordinance was not personal.

He said, "It's about moving Kansas City forward, and that's why the 12 council members came together."