Mtn. View voters will have a full slate of candidates to choose from come April 2, including two write-in candidates who threw their hats in the ring after the Dec. 26 deadline for filing to be placed on the ballot.
The only incumbent on the ballot is Mayor John Krasuski, so the outcome will be an entirely new council after months of resignations, the removal of an appointed council member after allegations of nepotism, and another appointment that was nullified earlier this month for the same reason, leaving council with only two out of four aldermen in the last few weeks before the election.
The subject of class attendance for more effective and informed governance has been raised at Mtn. View City Council meetings. Over the last several months, the council has seen the resignation of two aldermen, one of whom was replaced with Judi Colter by an appointment that was later rescinded because she was cousin by marriage to Brenda Colter, a sitting alderwoman, and the removal of Brenda Colter who voted for the appointment of her cousin, in accordance with state law.
The Missouri Municipal League offers online courses through Strategic Government Resources that may be taken individually or collectively for municipal official certification. Classes include relevant topics including budgets, economic development, emergency management, ethics, fundamentals of municipal government, parliamentary procedures, revenue sources, and the Sunshine Law.
One topic has been the focus of recent controversy, the possible hiring of a city manager, along with arguments for and against, based on the need for the additional position and necessary qualifications. During the open session of some recent meetings current Operations Manager Eddie Owens has been suggested for the job, or in the alternative, having his responsibilities expanded with a pay raise.
The Quill provided questionnaires to all candidates in order to introduce them to the community and provide an opportunity to speak out on issues they see as priorities moving forward, with completed questionnaires received from all but Krasuski and West Ward Alderman Calvin Perry.
Lucinda Burton is running for a two-year term as West Ward alderwoman against Calvin Perry. She is the owner of Abel Insurance Co., and says she has owned and operated several other businesses in the past and has developed the experience that comes with it, including human resources. Her husband is the owner of Burton Transport.
She has lived in Mtn. View since 2007 and opened Abel Insurance in 2008. Her husband has lived in Mtn. View since the 1980s and the two have seven children.
She adds she understands blended families and the families of special needs children as the parent of a son with special needs. She attends Chapel Hill Baptist Church.
She says she understands the checks and balances of government and knows Mtn. View needs to bring new businesses and industry to the city, plus work together to move forward.
If elected, Burton plans to work closely with members of the community and help make decisions on a range of local issues. She says she will represent the interests of her constituents, manage budgets and resources, attend committee meetings and engage with local businesses, organizations and the media.
She is also ready to provide advice on local strategies and initiatives and work closely with other elected members and officers, and says she is willing to further educate herself by taking available classes in city management.
Burton says she thinks the number one problem with the Mtn. View council is the current lack of honest, unbiased communication and an unwillingness to listen and truly investigate facts. "I will attend the classes to learn how to be a more effective member of council and to learn the laws of governing and abide by those laws. I have ideas and a vision for growth and expansion of our town and want to see us with a positive view of working together for the good of the town and its people," she adds.
Touching on the city administrator controversy, Burton says she thinks Owens should be made city administrator and a part-time financial consultant and part-time marketing expert should be adds.
The 2023 budget has also been the subject of scrutiny, and Burton commented she is not qualified to make an opinion on the matter because she was not there to see what happened and has not investigated it, but is willing to work on it and make changes if there is a need.
"There are many things I would love to see the City of Mtn. View get done," she concluded. Those projects include water, electric and sewer infrastructure expansion in order to support more building.
She says that if elected, she will try to get the city thinking forward, including a possible interstate in the next five to 10 years and investigating ways to handle a power grid failure in case that happens.
"I'm willing to listen to any ideas people have,” Burton concludes. “I would appreciate your vote to help me move the city forward."
David Bauer is running for a one-year term as East Ward alderman against Vicki Carr. It is the remainder of the term filled by appointee Bud Vines, who replaced Steven Sills after his resignation in November, but chose not to run for election.
Bauer is 31, a retired veteran, and is currently employed as a welder and pipe fitter. He graduated high school in 2012 and worked in the oil fields in North Dakota for about the next three years. He joined the U.S. Air Force and was medically retired in 2021 due to an injury suffered while on duty. He moved back to Mtn. View and married Alyssa Bauer last year. They have two children, a 2-year-old son and a daughter, age 9. "We are a family of Christians and love our community," he says.
If elected, it will be the first time he's held office.
"It has always been a dream of mine to get involved in my community on a political level," he says. "I am looking forward to learning and doing everything in my power to make our community better and safer place for our families."
Bauer says while he doesn't council-related experience that qualifies him for the position, his years in the military and managing his own businesses has given him experience dealing and working with other people towards a common goal: “I have very good communication skills, and I’m very open and determined to improve upon and make our community constituents as happy as possible.”
"I am running for this position because I am raising my family in this community and I have a vested interest and making it a safer and better place for them,” says Bauer. “Plus I very much enjoy being involved in the community."
When asked what issue facing residents he thought was most important to address, he puts a focus on public safety: "I plan on addressing this by working closely along with the mayor and the police department to ensure that the department and services have the resources and training required to ensure the safety and well-being of our community."
The next two issues he sees as important are the schools and education system, "ensuring our children have everything they need to thrive," and also ensuring Mtn. View is a place that people will want to visit, and that will include encouraging commerce in the area.
Challenger Vicki Carr is a homemaker who was born and raised in Mtn. View and also has not held public office before, but says she has a deep understanding and love for the people and the community.
She says the single issue she thinks is most critical and needs to be addressed is the council's lack of communication with the public, and she is ready to fix it between city leaders and the community.
She says the three most important issues to her campaign are bridging divisions and building community, fairness and equal treatment for all, and growing together while addressing challenges.
"Our community deserves the very best leadership," she concludes.
Judi Colter is running for a two-year term as an East Ward alderwoman. She was born and raised in Mtn. View, graduated from Mtn. View High School, and is retired. She was an East Ward alderwoman from 2020 to 2022, and professionally, she managed a bank for several years. She says she knows how important it is to keep the books balanced and to work as a team.
She says she is running for office to help Mtn. View get back on the right track, and there is a lack of transparency and stable leadership.
She sees the most critical issue that needs to be addressed is balancing the city's books so officials know where they are in the budget and how much can be spent, and getting the city clerk to get all of the accounts balanced. The council needs to work as a team for the community, she adds.
The three most important issues, she says, are to bring transparency back to public affairs and keeping citizens informed every step of the way, making sure tax dollars are being spent wisely and keeping the streets safe and functional as essential to the community.
Colter is being challenged by write-in candidate Brigg Pierson, a 35-year-old member of law enforcement who is currently on medical leave.
Pierson is a Houston High School graduate who says he moved around a lot after high school but moved to Mtn. View in 2014 to become a full-time police officer, and has lived in Mtn. View since then. He is also a member of the Mtn. View Fire Department and is a reserve officer with the Mtn. View Police Department.
He attended the Fire 1 and 2 classes with the fire department, he notes, and is married with a 12-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter who attend the Mtn. View schools.
He says while he has never held a political office before, he wants to help with the community.
"As a law enforcement officer, I believe I have a strong sense of integrity, work ethic and professionalism. I am a motivated and detail-oriented individual and have developed effective communication skills," he says. "I am running to hopefully propel our small community into growing into the future."
When asked what he the most critical issue is that needs to be addressed, he points to "drama and animosity" between city officials.
"I plan to sit on the board and be impartial and listen to all issues involving citizens' concerns with the allocation of city funds and the lack of growth of our city,” he says. “While I may not agree with the ideas of others, I know that a middle ground must be met. Feelings and egos must be left out of the city officials. I am running to end the drama which stifles the city from growing and stops good ideas before they get started."
Pierson reminds voters he is a write-in candidate, so those wishing to vote for him need to write his name on the ballot for East Ward alderman and fill in the oval next to the write-in line.
Another write-in candidate, Charry McCann, is running against incumbent John Krasuski for mayor.
McCann is a retired Mtn. View native who graduated in 1970 from Mtn. View High School, and has an associate of applied sciences degree from Jefferson College in Hillsboro, where she graduated cum laude.
Most of her adult life was spent in the St. Louis area, except for eight years in New Mexico, she says. When she retired she moved back to her childhood home at the corner of Ash Street and Seventh Street. She is married to Gary McCann, another Mtn. View High School alumnus and a lifetime Mtn. View resident. She describes their family as a large blended family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She has not held an elected office, but previously served on a city planning and zoning commission, and currently serves in that capacity for Mtn. View.
"My professional experience has been as an executive secretary/liaison between the county manager, board of county commissioners, department heads, legal counsel and elected officials,” she explains. “I have been an administrator of indigent hospital claims, a school district’s secretary to superintendent of finance and buildings and a director of marketing and client services for an insurance consulting firm which specialized in group employee benefits. I have experience in tax preparation, small business accounting and revenue cycle management.” she says of her work experience.
"I am detailed oriented, have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, am able to prioritize work and manage multiple projects,” McCann adds. “I want to encourage community spirit and pride in our city. I have the ability to work with the public and believe my experiences and training will prove to be good leadership.”
She says she is running in order to give Mtn. View citizens a choice in candidates, and wants to bring positive change to city administration.
She says the most critical problem facing council is a lack of transparency and public mistrust of the administration. "Spending can always be controlled and a line-item review most always will find revenues left over from previous years that can be utilized where needed when working on current year,” she explains. “Open meeting budget workshops of each department with full disclosure of all revenues and expenditures will result in improvement."
Other important issues to McCann are the completion of pool and sewer grant projects and the improvement of street conditions and blighted properties.
