Eleven candidates’ name will be on the ballot for six city offices in the April 5, 2022 Pacific municipal election. Six are new to elective office in Pacific but none are completely new to city government activities.
Candidates include three incumbents, one acting incumbent, one former alderman, one former police officer, one current reserve police officer, two veteran city committee members and civic leaders and two political activists.
There are races in four of the seats. The seats of marshal/police chief, mayor, and wards two and three all have multiple candidates who want your votes.
Three individuals want to be marshal / chief of police: Incumbent Scott Melies faces two challengers – former Pacific police sergeant Andrew Whitman and current reserve officer Greg Hurst.
Five-time mayor (acting incumbent) Herb Adams faces a challenge from former alderman/Eagles Auxiliary president Heather Filley.
Two candidates want the Ward Two aldermanic seat vacated by Herb Adams: former City Park Board and Pacific Partnership president Stephen Flannery III and local activist James Cleeve.
Ward Three incumbent Drew Stotler faces a challenge by Scott Lesh, local activist and leader in the Residents for Zoning Matters campaign.
Collector Debbie Kelley and former Park Board member Rick Presley, vying for the Ward One seat, are unopposed.
With no local newspaper and little or no attendance at city meetings, voters have limited opportunity to get to know what each of these candidates will bring to the job if elected.
Although some of the candidates have not held prior elected office in Pacific all have been visible in city government activity and are names that citizens paying attention to city government have seen.
Challengers Andrew Whitman and Greg Hurst have served as Pacific police officers; Stephen Flannery III and Rick Presley have served on multiple appointed city boards and committees; former alderman Heather Filley has been active in numerous civic affairs; Scott Lesh and James Cleeve have participated in a recent city issues.
According to one political pundit what voters want and need to know about these candidates is, are they willing listen to constituents, do they understand voters’ concerns and, if elected, can they get results?
Anyone who is not registered to vote, has until March to register for the April 5 election.
In Pacific you can register at the vehicle license office, 730 West Osage; Scenic Regional Library, 111 Lamar Parkway or Pacific City Hall, 300 North Hoven Drive.
You can also register at the County Clerk’s Office, Franklin County Government Building 400 E Locust room 201, or by mail through the post-card voter registration application, which may be obtained by calling the county clerk’s office 636-583-6355.
You can register online by requesting an online voter registration application at www.sos.mo.gov.
Applicants must be 17 1/2 years of age (18 by election day), US and Missouri citizens.
Well it certainly will be an interesting race with these many candidates seeking office. It is now up to the voters to determine which incumbent candidates have represented the interest of their constituents by listening to their concerns and voting according to those concerns. It also is a unique opportunity to evaluate those seeking office to evaluate their temperament, ideology, integrity, intelligence and ability to adapt to a political environment called City Hall. Vote wise, your future depends on it.
With little or no attendance at meetings, maybe they’ll consider doing a debate or soapbox gathering.