Elections for the Fayette Board of Aldermen will be held next week, Tuesday, April 8. For the first time in a while, voters have a choice of who will represent them on the city council.

To help our readers choose which candidate would best represent them, the Advertiser submitted five questions to each candidate ranging from qualifications and experience, current challenges for the city, streets, and economic development. Printed below are their answers.

Howard County Clerk Shelly Howell predicts that fewer than 15 percent of registered voters will turn out for Tuesday’s elections. Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. A list of polling places appears alongside sample ballots on Page 6 of this newspaper.

Northwest Ward - 2-Year Term

Peggy O’Connell

Who are you? For which seat are you running? What is your experience/qualifications?

My name is Peggy O’Connell. Brian McMillan and I recently opened McMillan’s Café just off the square on South Main St. We reopened after being closed for 20 years. His family opened the café around 1928. First run by his grandfather and uncles, then by his father Dude and another uncle. Our four children graduated from Fayette High School. I am running for Northwest Council seat. I have been on council for three years. I have sat on many boards and councils in the past. I have helped organizations get back on track and gain healthy members and a manageable budget. I have volunteered in many capacities and in many different roles to gain experience working with many different people.

Why are you running for city council?

I originally ran for council because there was a need and my council seat was open. I have always been a volunteer and this seemed like the next step. I have truly enjoyed getting to know city politics and the many citizens of Fayette that I might not have met otherwise. I have traveled all over the world and like to compare what I see in Fayette with other towns and cities. We are not lacking! We are a fun town with a lot to offer. There is more to come and I would like to be a part of it. Council is many hours of volunteering, learning how to help the city and its citizens has been an opportunity that I have enjoyed. Believe it or not, most of the days are fun!

What challenges does the city currently face, and what solutions do you propose?

All small towns have their challenges. One is keeping employees happy, convincing them that Fayette does have a lot to offer and that current and potential employees (citizens) can find great jobs here in Fayette. That staying and working in our town has lots of benefits. I also think that as a council we can begin to work with finding beneficial grants and ways to bring dollars and opportunities to Fayette. Working with the CID and Downtown Fayette are good starts. These fine organizations will help Fayette. The progress may seem slow, but in reality, each day brings a new opportunity to benefit Fayette.

City streets are a constant topic of complaints among citizens. What are your ideas about improving the streets in town?

Yes, the city streets are atrocious in areas! That happens over time with wear and constant use. The solution is to fix the potholes, re-pave entire sections of the streets. That all takes money. Lots of money and at this moment Fayette does not have what it takes to fix all the streets in town. There are grants out there to help with this project. Unfortunately, Fayette is facing some challenges that have been ongoing for many, many years. The current council has been working on fixing those issues and balancing the budget. Once the issues are fixed, Fayette should be able to work on obtaining grants to help with these projects. Recently hiring a City Administrator that is well-versed in writing grants was the first step. Ms. Cooper will be an asset to the City of Fayette.

What are your ideas concerning economic development?

As a small business owner, I like to encourage business in Fayette. I like to think that the more business we have in Fayette the more people will visit our town and keep it going. With more businesses in town, the chance that another new business will come is probable. We will keep citizens from Fayette and surrounding towns and the 1000 CMU students happy and spending money in our town instead of traveling elsewhere to spend their dollars.

Patrick L. Roll

Who are you? For which seat are you running? What is your experience/qualifications?

My name is Pat Roll and I’m running for the Board of Alderman in the Northwest ward. My qualifications include personnel leadership with division leaders to part-time employees, corporate and small business management, previous ownership of small businesses, and experience and proficiency in planning, preparing, implementing, and achieving revenue and expense goals. I previously served on the Board of Alderman.

Why are you running for city council?

To help the city of Fayette move forward and fix problems that have been neglected for years. We need to have plans to fix these problems. Just saying we don’t have the money to do anything to make Fayette better has to come to an end.

What challenges does the city currently face, and what solutions do you propose?

The biggest challenges for the city are city streets, housing shortage, and the electric franchise. City street solutions are answered in the next question. The city needs to actively address houses that are beyond repair. We should think about utilizing city lake property for houses. Look at any tax programs that can attract new housing. Without more housing options, Fayette will not grow its population. Retail business follows population. The electric system needs to be updated to make it more efficient. Hopefully, this will lead to better service for the city and have fewer power outages. The electric department has done a good job of cutting trees recently and should continue!

City streets are a constant topic of complaints among citizens. What are your ideas about improving the streets in town?

A six-month (or less time) plan to evaluate and determine the cost of repaving every city street. After knowing the cost, decide on a three-year plan to accomplish paving all city streets and follow through with the plan. We have the money to do this.

What are your ideas concerning economic development?

Continue membership in Moberley Economic Development Corporation. Support Central Methodist University. CMU is the driver of Fayette’s economic engine, and we need to support them. Improve the appearance of Fayette, improve city streets, and use the ordinances we have on the books to force home and downtown business owners to make their properties useable. Utilize and maximize the city lakes acres. Ideas: RV Park (a new entrance can be made at the west edge of D.C. Rogers Lake), golf course, regulation frisbee golf, and shooting range. Sell housing lots at Ricketts and or Peters Lake. Welcome new business.

Southwest Ward - 2-Year Term

Marsha Broadus

Who are you? For which seat are you running? What is your experience/qualifications?

Marsha Broadus and I’m running for Southwest Ward.

Why are you running for city council?

This will be my second term after being a write in candidate. I feel like one year isn’t long enough to get to know how the in and outs of how the council works and problems that are involved and finding a solution to the problem.

What challenges does the city currently face, and what solutions do you propose?

The city currently face is getting the audit finished from 2021, Hiring a company/person that has experience with doing audits and getting them completed in a timely fashion.

City streets are a constant topic of complaints among citizens. What are your ideas about improving the streets in town?

Once the audits are up-to-date the city can apply for grants to get the streets fixed.

What are your ideas concerning economic development?

I thank they are doing a good job by bringing the community to events, but I think it would be nice to help business owners stay in business.

Tristin Head

Who are you? For which seat are you running? What is your experience/qualifications?

My name is Tristin Head, and I am writing to express my candidacy for the open seat on the council for the Southwest ward. Since moving to Fayette from Harrisburg in 2020, after spending my entire upbringing there, I have developed deep connections to our town. I am a mother to two daughters and have been married for nearly three years with many more to come.

While this would be my first term on the City Council, I have regularly attended meetings in Fayette. My involvement in organizing the Fayette Party in the Park and the annual Independence Day celebration, coupled with my interest in the city’s operations, has made attending these meetings a priority. I value staying informed about Fayette’s developments and listening to the concerns of our community members.

Why are you running for city council?

I believe my experience in Business Management and Leadership, along with my passion for initiating positive change, would make me an effective member of the council. As a council member I would value the feedback I would receive from my fellow community members and ensure that their comments and concerns are the basis of the decisions I would be taking part in making. I have gotten to know some of our current council members and grown a deep appreciation on how they are always relaying the community members messages as they have been sent to them, even if they do not agree with the viewpoint, they ensure that those voices are heard and I admire that. 

What challenges does the city currently face, and what solutions do you propose?

The current city council has had to address the rise in utility costs and the poor condition of Fayette streets. These increases result from rising costs passed on to the city, requiring the council to make difficult decisions that also affect them. To foster a better understanding within the community, I suggest enhancing transparency by providing detailed information on the city’s cost increases over the past five years, alongside the corresponding rate increases for utility customers.

City streets are a constant topic of complaints among citizens. What are your ideas about improving the streets in town?

I would like to research potential grants to aid the city in prioritizing and executing necessary road repairs. By revisiting past council members’ lists of potholes and poorly conditioned roads, analyzing city traffic patterns, and considering community feedback, we can develop a comprehensive plan for road repairs as funding becomes available. Moreover, I aim to address the issue of deteriorating sidewalks throughout the city. Given the city ordinances that assign sidewalk upkeep and repairs to homeowners, many sidewalks have fallen into disrepair, which limits accessibility for our community members.

What are your ideas concerning economic development?

I would like to collaborate with the various organizations in Fayette to develop recurring workshops for current business proprietors, as well as those considering venturing into business ownership.

I would also like to engage the owners of unoccupied buildings in Fayette by organizing these events in spaces that are seeking new businesses. I believe this initiative could serve as an open house for the building owners and offer prospective entrepreneurs an opportunity to assess the available spaces. Moreover, it could foster new expansion for local businesses within the Fayette community.

J.B. Waggoner

Who are you? For which seat are you running? What is your experience/qualifications?

My name is JB Waggoner and I am a candidate for Alderman in the City of Fayette’s Southwest Ward (the full, 2-year term). The winner of the other race in this ward will complete the term of a seat that was vacated by a resignation. I have been a Howard County resident since 1987 when I arrived to attend Central Methodist College. I remained a resident while attending graduate school at the University of Missouri and I started my first business here, upon completion of that work. I have been an owner/operator of that business (a testing and research laboratory) since 1994 and I started a second lab in 2019.

My primary obligations are husband to Dori, father to Thomas, father-in-law to Allison, and grandfather to both Mary (age 2) and Audrey (age 2 days, as of this writing). If elected, I will begin my second period of service on the Board of Alderman, having previously served three terms representing the Southwest Ward. Additionally, when I left the office, no one filed for the seat I vacated so then Mayor, Mike Hirsch and the Board appointed me to a one-year term to fill the seat. A short time later, Mayor Hirsch resigned and moved to Texas. The Board appointed me to fill the rest of his term as Mayor. I chose not to run for the seat after that time, having spent seven years around the table. That group of leaders accomplished a great deal during that time, some of which has set us up for a bright future.  I would be happy to talk about those things with anyone who may have interest.

I have been an active volunteer in the community for more than three decades and have been involved in major infrastructure work for our community during that time. I played lead or significant roles in projects that included switch gear, transformer, and line upgrades for the electric distribution system, the design and construction of a new wastewater plant, and I assisted in the City’s move to join a regional drinking water provider. My most recent focus has been on economic development and the startup of our local Community Improvement District. I believe my experiences have prepared me to be ready to serve on the first day, should I be elected.

Why are you running for city council?

This is a unique time for our community. We are faced with many opportunities and perhaps a greater number of challenges. My desire to run is borne out of an interest in lending a hand, and I believe now is a good time to do it.

What challenges does the city currently face, and what solutions do you propose?

I believe many of our current challenges have developed or have been exacerbated by the reluctance to employ a City Administrator. I commend the current Board for resolving this issue and for making a good hire. I intend to support this position and others so our people can get on with the work of the City. We cannot run a community as complex as ours on volunteer time and volunteer effort and also assume we will thrive. Of primary concern to me is our delinquency in completing the required financial audits. I intend to assist the Administrator and this next council to bring this issue to a close and implement steps to prevent it from happening in the future.

City streets are a constant topic of complaints among citizens. What are your ideas about improving the streets in town?

It appears what we lack the most with regard to the condition of the streets is a plan. In my previous experience, the Board would budget $50,000 to as much as $80,000 per year for street repairs and asphalt overlays. It does not appear this has happened in many years. I intend to look at this more closely, along with revenue shortfalls that may be causing it. The first step will be to work with City staff to assess where we are then create a plan to get where we want to be. As well, in the last few months, I have been working with the Mayor in my role as the treasurer of the CID to see that improvements are made to the cross sections of South Church St. Two of these are perhaps among the worst places in town to drive. We intend to complete this work during this next construction season.

What are your ideas concerning economic development?

As noted, for the past few years I have been focusing my volunteer time on economic development. I serve on the board of the Howard County Economic Development Council and have represented that organization on the board of the Moberly Economic Development Corporation, our county’s professional economic development partner. Thus, I am a proponent and advocate for economic development in rural communities – to such a degree that I have not only supported it with my time, but financially, as well. There is more to be said about this subject than can be captured here, but here are some points for consideration.

1. We have a tremendous number of assets and positive attributes that are ripe and ready for development.

2. We must work together locally (Howard County communities) and regionally, if we are going to be successful in our efforts to prevent our economy from declining. It is not on the decline, by the way, it is just not yet thriving at the level we would all like to see. We will only be successful by pooling our resources and working together.

3. We must capitalize on our existing businesses, supporting them through efforts focused on retention and expansion. Growth within is a much shorter leap than attraction.

4. One more item – but not the last, by any means. We need to sell our citizens on the importance of supporting our local economy. The term “Shop Local” is a bit old and tired, so therefore overlooked. Perhaps we should refresh it with something like, “When you spend your money outside of your community, you just bought a pothole for a road where you live.” I concede that this is oversimplified and perhaps a little trite, but there is a point. The reality is, more than 65% of working-aged people work outside of our county. These same people tend to spend their money there, as well. Local spending can result in an immediate impact on the businesses, that then create jobs and increase offerings. Again, it is more complex than what I described (convenience, selection, affordability, etc.) but the overall approach is sound.

Southwest Ward - 1-Year Term

Grafton H. Cook

Who are you? For which seat are you running? What is your experience/qualifications?

My name is Grafton Cook, and I am running for the 1-year unexpired term for the Southwest Ward. I served on the council previously from April 2015 to April 2023. At various times during my tenure on the council I served as President of the Board and Mayor Pro-Tem. I retired from MOPAC Lumber Company in June of 2022 as Sales Manager for the company. My position involved writing and implementing sales and marketing plans, formulating sales and profitability projections and budgets, and new business development. Qualifications that will suit well as a serving member on the Fayette city council.

Why are you running for city council?    

I’m running because I am eager to play a role in securing a bright future for the city as a member returning to serve on the council.

What challenges does the city currently face, and what solutions do you propose?

In my view, a principal challenge we face is updating and making current the city’s financial reporting and audit procedures. I will work with the council to make certain the city has completed a thorough annual audit and statement of financial position at the end of each year. Another challenge is making sure our electric grid is safe and reliable. The city is fortunate to have on its payroll professionals within the department who understand the needs of the city. I will work to ensure they have the tools, and the city makes the long-term investment in, a system that is both safe and reliable. Important to me too is ensuring that Fayette is a safe place to live, work, and visit. To that end, I will work to create and maintain constructive relationships with our police and volunteer fire departments and make sure they have the tools necessary to fulfill their community roles.

City streets are a constant topic of complaints among citizens. What are your ideas about improving the streets in town?

To begin with, the city must have current financial audits completed in order to be eligible for any available state or federal grants. Secondly, a detailed inventory of each street to include its condition and traffic count will be necessary in order to determine where resources should be directed for repair. Lastly, a 5 year plan must be implemented that details where work begins and sets forth priorities street by street for repair. A plan will also include maintenance schedules of newly paved streets in order to realize the maximum useful life of the investments the city makes.

What are your ideas concerning economic development?

I am a firm believer that economic activity is the lifeblood of any community. The more revenue our economic base generates for the city means more resources the city will have at its disposal for continuing growth and improvement. I will support responsible efforts to grow and nurture our economy here in Fayette.

Regina B. Powell

Who are you? For which seat are you running? What is your experience/qualifications?

I’m a lifelong citizen. I'm called a community activist. I’m on several committees in the community (parks and rec, historical preservation, Juneteenth and as far as experience and qualification is that I understand from being on the committees what the problems are in Fayette.

Why are you running for city council?

Because I know the problems and I know that we need to meet these problems and see what we can get done about them.

What challenges does the city currently face, and what solutions do you propose?

Infrastructure and we need resources. By strategizing with the mayor and the other alderpeople on council to see what we can come up with to get these things taken care of.

City streets are a constant topic of complaints among citizens. What are your ideas about improving the streets in town?

We need to take care of our businesses first and then all those streets like mine, this hasn't been done for 40-some years, take care of those. That's my idea because we need to just repair. The ones that haven't been repaired for 40 or 50 years need to come first. And our businesses because we got to get into them.

What are your ideas concerning economic development?

More businesses for job opportunities. First we need fair low-income housing. Because there is a need for it in our community. Our low-income people are being overlooked. They don't have much to choose from. A lot of them have moved out of the community because of this. These people have to pay a babysitter, daycare. We need job opportunities. We need businesses to attract them. This why we need some low-income housing. And we also need an arcade for the kids in our community. We need something for them.