Jim Branch has served as 1st Ward councilman on the Jefferson City Council for nearly two years and is ready for another term.
Branch is one of many unopposed candidates who will appear on the April ballot. While there is a six-way race for Jefferson City mayor, all five council seats are unopposed, as are the municipal judge and prosecutor.
For Branch, the best part of serving for the past two years has been being able to give something back to the community that has given him so much.
"Jeff City has been really good to me. I flourished here," Branch said. "It's still a place where if you work hard, you can succeed."
When asked what has been the worst part of serving so far, Branch said there really haven't been any bad parts, but there have been difficult decisions. Right when Branch was elected in 2013, the city became aware of an unexpected mid-year budget shortfall of $1.68 million and the council had to make a plan, as well as cuts, to deal with it, something many city officials now refer to as "budget 2.0."
"That was difficult," Branch said. "We had to make some really tough choices and not fund some things."
Branch said he, like most people, wants to make everyone happy, but being on the council means taking a hard look at requests and issues and figuring out the cost and benefit to each.
"I don't enjoy it, but it's necessary," Branch said. "And that's why people put me in that position ... they know how I treat my money and they want to make sure I watch theirs just as closely."
Branch said the most surprising part has been seeing the attitude and dedication of city staff, who make the council's job so much easier through their hard work.
"These guys are incredible," Branch said. "Everybody I've met from the top guys to the guys who pile the snow, they all actually care about what happens."
Branch said, with a laugh, he wants to continue to serve in part because no one else seems to want to the position. He said his employer has been more than understanding with him and the requirements of being on the council.
"I will stay there as long as, one, the voters want me there or, two, it stops being fun," Branch said. "If it's not something I enjoy doing, I'm not going to do it well."
He said he's made good friends on the council and enjoys serving.
"It's kind of like getting together and discussing issues with a bunch of buddies," Branch said.
Branch said getting the upcoming solid waste contract right is an important issue to him, noting he'd like to keep things close to the way they are now with a single contract.
In November 2009, the city entered into a six-year contract with Allied Waste for exclusive service to city residents. An ordinance passed earlier that year made the service mandatory, and not subscribing to it is a violation of city code. The current contract with Allied Waste ends Oct. 31 and city staff has been working for the past few months to put together a new scope of services for a request for proposals.
But Branch said he's been talking to many commercial businesses that have concerns about the costs and he'd like to try and see those addressed in a new contract.
Another important issue for Branch is to see the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department's multipurpose building continue to move forward. The department is working with Lincoln University for a joint facility on Lafayette Street.
Editor's Note: Every Monday, the News Tribune will profile one of the seven unopposed municipal candidates on the April 7 ballot.