After nearly two years in office, 3rd Ward Councilman Ken Hussey says there's still more work to be done for Jefferson City.
Hussey 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.
Hussey said the best part of serving so far has been the chance to influence the activities of the city. He said the first half of the first term on the council is spent getting to know the staff and the issues facing the city, as well as the other council members. Now that he's been able to get more familiar with City Hall, Hussey said he looks forward to delving deeper into the issues.
"I love government and its functions and being involved," Hussey said. "The best part for me is probably just being able to dig in and make an impact and try to find ways to make the city better."
When asked what the worst part is, Hussey said it is trying to prioritize his time. Between his full-time job, family and City Hall, Hussey said it can be difficult to figure out how to be everywhere needed.
"The most challenging part sometimes is to know when you need to be at something or what's a priority," Hussey said.
Hussey said even though he had some previous experience working with City Hall, he was most surprised by how quickly local government can act on some issues.
"If you pay attention to the federal and state level, it can take forever for things to happen," Hussey said. "But how quickly the council can make a decision on a Monday night and sometimes by Tuesday the policy is being implemented or the action is being taken."
He said the dedication and loyalty of city staff also were a pleasant surprise. Hussey said staff members have a passion for improving the city and willing to work hard.
"So many of them put in extra effort," Hussey said.
Hussey said he wants to continue serving because he enjoys the job and believes there's more to accomplish.
"I think that there's still a lot of work to be done for the city and things that I still want to accomplish with my fellow City Council members and city staff," Hussey said.
One important city issue for Hussey moving forward is the lodging tax. Last year, the City Council rejected two proposals for a conference center, but the lodging tax has collected roughly $2.2 million for a possible conference center and is expected to raise roughly $9 million. Hussey said it's time to discuss what that money will be used for and what the best use would be for the city.
"It's been almost a year since we decided the conference center (issue), and we really haven't had a discussion about the lodging tax since then," Hussey said. "I think it's worth a discussion to see what's our direction on this."
Hussey said another important issue is the city's long-term finances.
Dealing with largely flat revenues, the city has some big future expenditures to consider, he said, such as capital projects and equipment replacement and repair.