The deadline looms to file for a seat on the Jefferson City Council.
Filing ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday for five council seats - one in each ward - to be determined in 2014 elections.
All five incumbents have filed; only one faces a challenger.
The incumbents are: Rick Prather, 1st Ward; Rick Mihalevich, 2nd Ward; Bob Scrivner, 3rd Ward; Carrie Carroll, 4th Ward; and Larry Henry, 5th Ward. To date, Carroll faces the only challenge, from Glen Costales.
Jefferson City elections are non-partisan and terms on the City Council are two years. Additional information is available on the city's website, www.jeffcitymo.org.
We encourage city residents who have the interest, time and energy to devote to elective office to consider running for a seat on the council.
We believe elections are about choices. Residents are the winners when they are able to choose from among candidates who articulate differing visions of municipal government operations, strategies and goals.
Serving on the City Council is no small chore. Council members are asked to study and make decisions on a wide range of issues, ranging from infrastructure to personnel, finance and public safety, and countless other topics.
The case also can be made that public service on the municipal level is the most difficult, because elected representatives must make decisions that affect the friends and acquaintances they encounter frequently while dining, shopping or attending events. Making difficult decisions without making enemies can be an elusive goal.
Public service is not for everyone. It requires a spectrum of talents, including the ability to listen, analyze, compromise and choose.
The challenge is considerable, but so are the rewards of public service.
The races have not yet begun, but the deadline looms for residents who are ready, willing and able to run for City Council.