KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser vetoed a measure Thursday that would have kept his wife from volunteering in his office at City Hall.

City Council had approved the ordinance, which banned family members of elected officials from volunteering in their city offices.

Funkhouser has said it was an attack against him and his wife, Gloria Squitiro. Squitiro spends about 20 to 30 hours a week at Funkhouser's office as an unpaid volunteer.

"I will not allow anyone to dictate how I run my office, not even the City Council, nor should I," Funkhouser said during the City Council meeting. "I work with you not for you. I work for residents of Kansas City. I am responsible to them; they understand that."

Councilwoman Cindy Circo said Thursday was her son's birthday and she'd probably be late for it because of the City Council meeting.

"We all make sacrifices," Circo said. "I want the public to know that this is not about one person or one family."

City Council members could vote as early as next week to override that veto.