Rick Nilges, former city councilman, found dead, 47

Police said an autopsy performed by Boone County Medical Examiner, Dr. Jay Dix, indicated the cause of death.

Jefferson City police Capt. Ray Bledsoe said officers responded to a call at the Nilges' residence at 2:46 a.m. Bledsoe declined to identify the caller.

The house at 1225 Lee St. is owned by Nilges' parents, said Bledsoe. Bledsoe believed Nilges, the father of two children, had been separated from his wife, Kaye.

Bledsoe said officers originally thought Nilges was unconscious. Officers found no wounds to Nilges' body.

Nilges served as a Fourth Ward Democrat on the Jefferson City Council from 1992 to 2000, when he was defeated by Republican Clyde Angle, who currently holds the seat.

During his final year on the council, Nilges ran for mayor. He lost the February 1999 primary to Ted Stewart, who was defeated in the general election by Mayor Tom Rackers, a Republican.

During Nilges' four terms on the council, he was known for creating the city's first responder program, which trained firefighters to provide basic life support in emergencies until an ambulance arrives.

A 24-year employee for the state, Nilges worked as a budget analyst for the House Appropriations Office at the Capitol. His responsibilities primarily dealt with budgets for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Public Safety. "The same dedication he had on the city council, he had here," said a co-worker.

His number-crunching expertise flowed over to the city; his peers elected him chairman of the council's Finance Committee for most of his tenure on the council.

In that capacity, he helped the city build an operating reserve fund -- also known as a "rainy day fund" -- from $700,000 to $3.4 million last year.

"He worked with the state budget and he had a lot of experience and knowledge in the field," said Fifth Ward Councilman Larry Vincent, who served with Nilges. "He instituted the way we do the budget today."

Presently, the council creates three subcommittees to study sections of the budget. Each committee then makes recommendations to the council.

"He was certainly a friend," Vincent said. "He'll be missed."