Experience Counts

Three days after the election and I’ve been trying to analyze what’s happened and what’s going to happen after the swearing-in of the new Mayor and Aldermen. Today I’d like to focus on the stable of Aldermen and their impact upon the city.

Those elected for the first time are Forrest Gossett and Sonya Shryock. Gossett is an extremely intelligent man with an education in journalism; it’s been a treat speaking with him, he’ll keep me on my toes and I hope visa-versa. A man who understands and can categorically critique what I do, and has done so, calling my work (sometimes) bombastic. At first I was uncomfortable with that moniker until I looked it up and found him correct. He covered many major elections during his days as an editor and has a very good understanding of Government and its inner workings. Sonya Shryock spent 20 years in the real estate industry and comes from a family of Realtors. She understands the engine that keeps home sales going and will be an asset to Wentzville in its effort to fill our 3,500 vacant lots we have as a result of the housing bubble bursting. Re-elected was “Bulldog” Rick Stokes, the resident voters of Wentzville recognize quality and displayed it with his landslide return to the Board.

Seated Aldermen for one more year are Chris Gard and Cheryl Kross both highly capable Aldermen who are not in favor of mediocrity and have a history of challenging the status quo. Leon Tow who was the senior Alderman with 14 years on the Board of Aldermen lost his bid for the top-spot and consequently bequeathed the senior Alderman title to Cheryl Kross who is beginning her fourth year of service. Leon, with his experience served as a stabilizing force on the Board, they looked to him for leadership and questions involving procedures and history of Board actions, which leads me to the point of this writing.

Today, we have the youngest Board of Aldermen I’ve ever known. Having elected a new mayor with highly questionable leadership skills who has only five years of dysfunctionality on the Board will be of no help with policies, procedures, and history of actions to this new board.  The Wentzville City Attorney, Paul Rost; and City Clerk, Vi Skillman will be busy babysitting this Mayor and young group of energetic Aldermen. With only one person on the Board with over two years, there will be lots of questions that were mostly fielded by Mayor Lambi or Leon Tow.

Now we come to the vacated seat in Ward 3, left when Nick Guccione stole the election with lies, mud-slinging, and deviousities, he will probably appoint Rodney Stratman to that seat. As a voting citizen of Ward 3, I do not want another lame Alderman, especially one living right next door to a Mayor as sneaky as Nick Guccione. I want an Alderman I can trust, one who will represent me and the other citizens of Ward 3. It is my opinion that the Board should reject any of Guccione's appointments and put someone in that seat who knows how to represent.

So who should that be? It should be someone with experience, honor, and integrity. There is only one man or woman that I know of who lives in Ward 3 that fits all of those qualifications; Darrel Lackey. Mr. Lackey served as Alderman in both Ward 2, and Ward 3, and was Mayor for two terms. I cannot see any other candidate or more qualified person to serve as my representative in Ward 3. With no Alderman having more than three years on the Board and the possibility of losing both Gard and Stokes to the Missouri State House of Representatives, Wentzville is going to need a strong person on the Board of Aldermen, Lackey has a history of being a strong servant of the people and businesses here.

I have spoken to Mr. Lackey and when I asked him if he would accept such an appointment, he said he would be honored to serve out Guccione's vacated seat. I will be calling my Alderman; Rick Stokes and the Aldermen of the other wards to urge them to nominate Darrel Lackey to serve as Ward 3's Alderman.

I'm appealing to all of my readers to call your Aldermen and ask them to appoint Darrel Lackey to Ward 3. Not only would it provide a stronger Board, it would provide the experience lacking in our current Board. If and when we lose Alderman Gard and or Stokes, we would insure that there would be another "Gard Dog" and "Bulldog Stokes" representing the people of Wentzville who knows how to serve our City.