Municipal elections are Tuesday, and seven candidates are vying for five seats on the Jefferson City Council.
This week, the candidates focus on the roles and issues within city government and tell us what they think is the biggest issue facing Jefferson City.
Ward 1
First Ward Councilman Rick Prather is facing no challenge on the April ballot as he seeks his third term on the Jefferson City Council.
Prather said the role of the City Council is to pass ordinances, while the city administrator and staff present their needs to the council. He said the role of the mayor is to be a leader who can use influence to guide the council on issues facing the city.
In Jefferson City, the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department is unusually independent, with its own dedicated funding source and governing body, the Parks and Recreation Commission. The commission largely operates outside of the scope of the City Council, though there is a council liaison who attends commission meetings.
When asked how the council and commission can best work together, Prather said there are two main paths for communication - through the department director and the council liaison. But, he noted, the council is limited in its authority over the commission, as the department has its own sales tax that was approved by the voters.
"We need to support them when we can, but we have very little authority to change things that maybe the commission wouldn't want to," Prather said.
The commission is underway with a planned $11.5 million Wellness Center in a joint effort with Lincoln University. The project is currently under construction on Lafayette Street and expected to be completed by the end of January 2017. Prather said the partnership with Lincoln University has enabled it to become a better project more suited to meeting the needs of the community.
"I think the combination with Lincoln has only helped the project," Prather said. "And I think we should do, not only with this project, but other things that work in conjunction with Lincoln to make the city a better place."
Last month, the city's new director of information technology and finance started several months after the former director, Bill Betts, resigned. When asked whether he believed the departments of IT and finance could be effectively managed and run by one person, Prather said absolutely, as it has been done in other cities and Betts has already proved it can be done.
"I think leadership is important in being able to manage the people that are working for you," Prather said. "And I think that's the key is to be able to be a good leader, be able to delegate to your supervisors."
Prather said he did not think any consideration should be given to splitting the two departments back up.
When asked what the biggest issue facing the city is, Prather said the upkeep and replacement of vehicles, and the maintenance of buildings, along with having the funding to meet those needs. And when asked what the biggest issue facing the 1st Ward is, Prather said infrastructure in the older neighborhoods, as well as overcrowding at East Elementary School.
"The infrastructure is definitely in need of repair," Prather said.
Ward 2
In the city's 2nd Ward, incumbent J. Rick Mihalevich faces his first challenge to his seat from Bud Fisher.
Mihalevich said the role of the City Council is to be the ears and eyes of the residents and put forward ordinances and budget items that address their concerns and needs. He said the city administrator is responsible for managing the city's employees and implementing the policies and processes the council puts in place.
Fisher said the council's role is defined by the City Charter and the council members are there to offer the views of those in their respective wards. The city administrator and mayor are the manager and face of the city, while the council is there for direction, he said.
When asked how the council and Parks and Recreation Commission can best work together, Mihalevich said the council needs to communicate with commissioners and parks staff, as well as attend their events and try to understand their operations. Mihalevich noted the council still has a fiduciary responsibility over the parks department and shares in the citywide half-cent capital improvement sales tax.
Fisher said the two entities, much like any other government entity, need to foster good communication to eliminate any duplication of services. He noted Mayor Carrie Tergin has gone a long way with starting to foster that type of communication between the city and other organizations.
Mihalevich said the parks commission's collaboration with Lincoln University for the planned Wellness Center is ideal, though he noted there will be issues to be worked out in terms of access and use of the facility.
"Cooperation isn't an easy thing; you have to go in it with the right attitudes and the right ideas," Mihalevich said. "I think they're headed in that direction."
Fisher said he did not have details on the project at the time, but is a strong advocate of wellness and fitness.
"I'm all for what we can do in our city to promote better health, privately or in partnership with the city," Fisher said.
When asked whether he believes the departments of IT and finance could be effectively managed and run by one person, Mihalevich said he does because he's seen it done before in other settings, noting it works with the right personnel and processes in place.
Fisher said he would think one person in charge, with good talent in the staff, is a feasible structure.
When asked whether any thought should be given to splitting the two departments back up, Mihalevich said he would yield to the city administrator, while Fisher said any possibility for improvement should always be revisited, especially if problems arise.
When asked what the biggest issue facing the city is, Mihalevich said the long-term capital needs and maintenance of buildings and vehicles.
"(That) has got me concerned about how we need to maintain our fiduciary responsibility to ensure that that money is available when buildings start to be repaired, vehicles need to be replaced," Mihalevich said. "I think our staffing levels, and maintaining staffing levels and services, are super critical, too."
Fisher said the biggest issue facing the city is balancing the challenges facing the city as a whole, looking at how best to address infrastructure while still making progress and balancing revenue streams.
"How do we progress in one area but not take it away from what we need to already do to maintain in another area," Mihalevich said. "I think that what we are faced with really across the board is this balancing between revenue, availability and what we need to do to keep our city structurally sound and, at the same time, progress in certain areas."
When asked what the biggest issue facing the 2nd Ward is, Mihalevich said the ward is typically focused on downtown and keeping the area vibrant and growing. Mihalevich said he would like to see expanded parking downtown and encourage further development as the downtown connects with the city's east side, as projects like revitalizing the old Missouri State Penitentiary gain footing. He also noted he would like to "draw the compromises between closing off streets (downtown) and retail viability."
Fisher said the 2nd Ward is incredibly diverse, encompassing the downtown, historic areas of the city, the airport, the Capitol; and no one issue covers all aspects of the ward. He said he would like to be involved in each area's specific issues, noting nearly every Jefferson City resident uses the 2nd Ward on a daily basis, either for shopping or work.
Ward 3
Erin Wiseman is the sole candidate for the 3rd Ward seat currently held by Bob Scrivner, who is term-limited and ineligible to seek re-election.
Wiseman said the role of the council, and her leadership style, is to govern in a macro-management way, where the council stays out of too many details and instead leaves it to staff to make recommendations. Wiseman said a leader should be surrounded with good people, who are knowledgeable and care about their fields.
When asked how the council and Parks and Recreation Commission can best work together, Wiseman said the council liaison position already established is a good start.
Wiseman said the parks commission's collaboration with Lincoln University for the planned Wellness Center sounds great, though she said she didn't know a lot about the project itself.
"I hope it's a great step for the community," Wiseman said.
When asked whether she believed the departments of IT and finance could be effectively managed and run by one person, Wiseman said she doesn't really have an opinion on the issue as she had no first-hand knowledge of it at the time. She said it would be something she'd have to look into, noting it warrants some investigation.
When asked what the biggest issue facing the city is, Wiseman said there are lots of concerns about the conference or civic center idea and Adrian's Island development, as well as the half-cent capital improvement sales tax. But, she said, most of those issues are not immediate needs, with the possible exception of the sales tax.
"The civic center/conference center and Adrian's Island are not things that, if we don't do them today, our city is going to quit," Wiseman said.
When asked what the biggest issue facing the 3rd Ward is, Wiseman said there is an issue with a proposed development off of Hayselton Drive that has many residents concerned and is set to be voted on by the City Council on Monday.
"I think the residents over there raise many good issues and concerns," Wiseman said. "I think that's going to be a really big issue for Ward 3."
Ward 4
In the city's 4th Ward, incumbent Glen Costales is facing a challenge from David Durbin.
Costales said the role of the council is to give overall guidance and direction, noting the power is in the council and council members' jobs are to listen to constituents as well as city staff.
Durbin said the council is meant to represent the residents in each ward and in the city as a whole, while the mayor serves as the leader, meant to provide inspiration and sometimes control. He said the city administrator is then responsible for the day-to-day running of city operations.
When asked how the council and Parks and Recreation Commission can best work together, Costales said the best option would be to put the parks department under the authority of the City Council, though he noted that would require a vote of the people to repeal the department's dedicated sales tax. When asked if he would want to see a vote to change the City Charter concerning the authority of the Parks and Recreation Commission, Costales said he would have to look at that.
Durbin said all governmental entities, including the commission, need to partner with each other to ensure services are not being duplicated as well as making sure the needs of the community are being met.
As for the parks commissions collaboration with Lincoln University for the planned Wellness Center, Costales said he voted against the council's decision to provide a $1.5 million line of credit to parks for the project, noting city money should not go to Lincoln University when the university should receive funds through the state Legislature.
"That's the proper avenue for Lincoln to go," Costales said. "Parks and Lincoln should both be held to live within their own budgets."
Durbin said the joint project will be valuable, allowing both the city to build the gym space it needed and the university to build the fitness center it needed while sharing costs.
"The partnership with Lincoln University, as I understand the program, is in a sense a kind of win-win situation," Durbin said. "I think that it will be a value to the community."
When asked whether he believed the departments of IT and finance could be effectively managed and run by one person, Costales said "by the right individual," noting the former director, Bill Betts, had the skills to do it.
Durbin said the functions of IT and finance have different demands and require different skill sets that could be a challenge for one person directing both, but noted he was not intimately familiar with the situation.
When asked whether any thought should be given to splitting the two departments back up, Costales said it will need to be looked at, especially once the city completes an expected salary study before the next budget cycle, while Durbin said it should be examined.
When asked what the biggest issue facing the city is, Costales said one is morale of city employees, noting that some of it comes from stagnant pay and also from the council itself.
"We sit in here and we discuss how important personnel are, and then we go and fund other things such as extra money to (Cultural) Arts Commission, extra money for Old Town Revitalization (Company), $1.5 million loan to parks," Costales said. "We should have used that money for general fund expenditures, taking care of the employees, and that affects their morale."
Costales said the other major issue facing the city is infrastructure repair and maintenance.
Durbin said the city needs to take a more planned approach to growth, noting he's seen the city grow a lot in the past 10 years and not all of it was planned as well as it should have been.
"Without having a plan, we're not necessarily all aiming for the same destination," Durbin said. "I think we need to take a look planning-wise both for our residential and commercial growth, as well as such civic things, as a convention center, a civic center, and what that may develop into."
When asked what the biggest issue facing the 4th Ward is, Costales said the maintenance of roads, noting it's a major problem.
Durbin said the 4th Ward has seen a significant amount of growth and there are further development opportunities for properties in the ward where mixed-use development, something including residential and light retail, would be beneficial.
Ward 5
Fifth Ward Councilman Larry Henry is facing no challenge as he seeks his third term on the City Council.
Henry said the role of the council is to manage the city and make sure the city administrator has what he needs to manage the departments. Most importantly, he said, the council has to pay attention and listen to constituents and their concerns, being the front line between residents and city departments.
When asked how the council and Parks and Recreation Commission can best work together, Henry said through constant communication. He said the council often receives calls asking about parks, and they need to stay in contact with members of the commission to be able to answer those questions.
Henry said the parks commission's collaboration with Lincoln University for the planned Wellness Center is excellent and long overdue.
"I think, overall, it's an excellent partnership, excellent project, and I'm looking forward to when it opens," Henry said.
When asked whether he believed the departments of IT and finance could be effectively managed and run by one person, Henry said the council got that impression from former director Betts, who was able to do it well because he knew the staff and the city extremely well. But, looking forward, Henry said the departments do need to be separated as it is difficult to find another person who can manage both departments well.
"At this point in time, it would be hard to find someone like that, especially coming in from outside the city," Henry said. "You'll be hard pressed to find somebody who will be able to do that."
When asked what the biggest issue facing the city is, Henry said infrastructure, noting the list of infrastructure issues continues to build.
"That's a huge, major point for me at this time," Henry said. "The public doesn't latch onto how important infrastructure is until something happens on their property."
When asked what the biggest issue facing the 5th Ward is, Henry said maintaining the older streets and finding funding to do that.