It has been my experience over the past 50 or so years that sick little people should not be placed in positions of authority. The problem is weeding out those people before they weasel their way into power.
Check your town councils and planning committees. They’re full of them. We had a local issue here a few years ago, when the council made a massive decision without the input of the townsfolk first.
The very next time elections came around, every single one of those jerks was voted out. Every single one. Good riddance!
They’ve been spotted, and now they aren’t welcome to try that bs again. If they ever run for election for something else, I’m pretty sure there will a big stink. The gloves will come off and they’ll be made into mincemeat.