LAKE MYKEE, Mo. -- Two candidates - Charles "Dusty" Klein and Jay Clingman - are running for two openings in the Village of Lake Mykee Board of Trustees in the April 4 election.
While each is virtually guaranteed the win, whether they'll end up actually performing the role is not guaranteed.
Also on the ballot is the question of consolidation with Holts Summit. If Holts Summit and Lake Mykee vote by a simple majority to consolidate, the Lake Mykee Board of Trustees will be dissolved.
"If both Holts Summit and Lake Mykee pass it, the town board and my position will be no more," Klein said. "I was asked to serve by members of the community, and we want to maneuver in everyone's best interest."
Consolidation would provide Lake Mykee, a small village of about 130 households, with access to emergency services and a municipal judge. Lake Mykee is already using Holts Summit's sewer system. Deficiencies in the village's sewage lagoon was one factor that prompted merger talks.
The two communities are eight-tenths of a mile apart - which, under past legislation, would have been too far apart to merge.
However, a Missouri bill signed into law last June made the consolidation possible. In October, Holts Summit's aldermen and Lake Mykee's trustees voted to put the merger on the April ballot.
Klein noted the Lake Mykee community could face challenges whether the consolidation passes or not.
"I am concerned that if the consolidation doesn't come to fruition, there will be some challenges. I don't know if I understand all of them, but the Board of Trustees will need to resume work," he said. "Another thing is tax changes. The county is going to become a Class 2 county."
Klein noted a potential advantage to consolidation is the extension of the Holts Summit Police Department's service to Lake Mykee.
"This is a good community. We really want to maintain the values and aesthetics of the community to make sure we'll have a safe place to live," he said.
Clingman could not be reached for comment.