Since no one filed as a candidate for the California Ward 1 alderman seat coming open, the position is expected to go to the person receiving the most write-in votes April 3.
The seat is currently held by Joe Coffelt. After having held the seat for 10 years, Coffelt said, "I hope someone steps up, if their name is entered as a write-in candidate."
Coffelt spoke briefly about the benefits of serving others in this way.
"Everyone has a responsibility to serve their community," he said, "whether through the church or community organizations."
He commented that this is a good way to not only serve the community, but added, "serving like this is helpful in knowing what is going on in the community, and the person has a role in the way the service is provided to the people."
Coffelt additionally spoke of the fact that Ward 1, with 467 registered voters, has by far, the fewest registered voters of the three city wards.
There are 907 registered voters in Ward 2 and 1,030 registered voters in Ward 3. Coffelt is of the opinion it would be helpful, and the city would be better represented, if the three "wards were redistributed to have a better balance of registered voters."
Incumbent Bryan Lawson was the only person to file for the Ward 2 position he currently holds.
"I will listen and always keep a 'front porch' policy as your city councilman," Lawson said. "I have the best interest of the city in mind."
He is especially interested in the small city.
"I was born and raised in California, with a long line of generations from California, also," Lawson said. "I get the pleasure of raising my children - Corbin, 10, and Kinsley, 7 - with my wife, Becky Lawson, of 14 years, in the outstanding community of California."
With four years of service on the California City Council, Lawson is sure he will be able to contribute to the future of California.
Incumbent Resa Dudley also is running unopposed for the Ward 3 alderman position she currently holds.
After returning to California to live full time in 2000, Dudley desired a few years ago to "serve in some capacity." At least part of that interest in serving the community was because of family in the area. She has nine grandchildren, ranging from 2-18 years old. She has three sons - E.H. Hirschvogel, Jeffrey Hirschvogel and Robert Hirschvogel - and a stepdaughter, Amanda Henley.
Serving on the California City Council has been a steep learning curve, she said.
"I've learned it's a whole lot more complicated than I thought it was," Dudley said. As examples she listed the budget, speaking of many hours spent looking over all the pages and listening to the different department supervisors, as well as city water and wastewater services.
She was first elected in 2012 and for the last two years has served as mayor pro-tem.
Her father was from the area, but since he was in the military, Dudley started high school in Raleigh, North Carolina, then moved to California when she was a sophomore.
She began a career in the Missouri Department of Social Services 41 years ago. She served as the department's human resources director from 1990-2002, then took a position as deputy director of the Office of Administration/Division of Personnel. She was acting state personnel director for a year, following the firing of the director by the governor. During that time, Dudley also served as the state's chief negotiator for collective bargaining with the public-sector unions.
Dudley was human resources director at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources from 2002 until her retirement in 2007. She continued to work part time in state government until spring 2017. Last fall she began substitute teaching in California and Jamestown schools.