Willard Badly Needs Aldermen, a Mayoral Race Event, and Some Advice
Willard Badly Needs Aldermen, a Mayoral Race Event, and Some Advice
Three open seats and no candidates
With the April 4th election fast approaching, three vacancies with no candidates on the ballot are looming ever larger over Willard’s Board of Aldermen. Below I’ll share the requirements for becoming an alderman by write-in, and will also provide a general overview of what it is like to serve in the position.
Mayoral race event(s)
Former City Clerk Jennifer Rowe and incumbent Mayor Samuel Snider are vying for the position of Willard mayor.
Ms. Rowe will be present at a meet-the-candidate event this evening, Monday, March 20th, at 6:30 p.m. at Pizano’s Pizza. Organizers are encouraging everyone to come and grab a slice of pizza. Details are here.
Though not a campaign event, Mayor Snider will be partnering with community volunteers and with Willard Parks and the Willard Police Athletic League to clean up litter around town on Saturday, March 25th, at 8:00 a.m. The event will be followed by a relaxing lunch at Camp Character at noon. Sign-up info can be found here.
An alderman race, or the lack thereof
Aldermen Larry Whitman and Ryan Simmons did not seek reelection, and a third seat has been vacant since June of 2022. The three remaining aldermen — Sam Baird, Corey Hendrickson, and Landon Hall — will be up for reelection in April of 2024.
Though I’ve heard rumors of potential write-in candidates, I haven’t heard any specific names, and nothing has been confirmed by the city clerk.
Either way, three of the six alderman seats are up for grabs. And since no one filed to run by the December filing deadline, all three seats can be filled by write-in. And due to an intentional loophole in Missouri law, it’s not even necessary to file paperwork with the city or the county clerk in order to have your name written-in on the ballot.
Here is the original notice of the April 2023 election, including the vacant ward positions that will appear on the ballot.
What’s required to become an alderman?
An alderman is required to be at least eighteen years of age, a citizen of the United States, and an inhabitant and resident of the City of Willard for one year preceding the election. While serving as alderman, you are also required to remain a full-time resident of the ward for which you were elected. If you’d like to see which ward you live in, a map can be found here.
The City of Willard will generally pay for newly elected officials to attend a series of training sessions sponsored by the Missouri Municipal League (MML), which are usually held over a weekend. The MML also provides an excellent and helpful guidebook here for newly elected officials, or for those interested in exploring how being an elected official works.
Familiarizing yourself with the Missouri Constitution is recommended as well. I did so for my time as alderman back in 2014-15. It was one of the main reasons I voted ‘nay’ much more often than my colleagues.
Additionally, having a basic grasp of economics is something that ought to be required. But, unfortunately, it is not. Two great sources that are short and written for the layperson are here and here. Both would go a long way toward helping municipalities to better understand the economy and to make sound financial decisions.
What’s it like to be an alderman?
First off, it doesn’t pay anything, though it does have its own rewards.
For me, probably the best part about being an alderman was getting to help residents when they had questions or concerns. A close second was the behind-the-scenes experience I acquired about the way government really works — or, more often, doesn’t.
At present, finding information on the City of Willard’s website is a bit hit-and-miss. The dates, times, and agendas for upcoming meetings are not currently being posted, nor are the records of recent meetings, but here is some basic background info:
The City of Willard has a number of different governing boards and commissions —Board of Adjustments, Park Board, Planning & Zoning, etc. The most important of these is the Board of Aldermen, also sometimes known as the city council.
Typically, the Board of Aldermen meets at 7pm at City Hall on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month (although those dates can change because of holidays). If you’d like to see what an open meeting (open to the public) is like, the next one is Monday, March 27th, at 7pm.
Meetings generally run from one to two hours, and are sometimes followed by a closed session (not open to the public) when there are pending legal or personnel matters that need to be discussed. Closed sessions tend to last no more than 30 minutes to an hour.
In attendance at these meetings, you will typically find at least four of the six aldermen and the mayor sitting at the dais with the city clerk and city attorney. In the audience, you will find other city staff — the city administrator, the chief financial officer, the public works director, the parks director — and usually only a few residents, although occasionally there can be more if a contentious issue is on the meeting agenda. You will also find a police officer standing by for security.
What are an alderman’s responsibilities?
Each alderman represents the citizens in his/her ward for a two-year term.
Aldermen listen to citizen complaints and concerns via email, phone call, or a personal visit. The aldermen’s contact information is posted publicly on the city website.
The Board of Aldermen meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. During meetings, they vote on ordinances (city laws), approve purchases, consider rezoning requests, hear department head reports, listen to citizen concerns, etc.
Aldermen must prepare for meetings ahead of time by reading the agenda packet. The packet provides detailed information of what must be voted on and/or approved. A large portion of the packet includes detailed summaries of outstanding invoices and financial information. Sometimes, packets can exceed a hundred pages.
Aldermen may be invited to attend community events, such as ribbon cutting ceremonies, community meetings, etc.
Aldermen generally also serve on one of the city’s lesser boards, such as Planning and Zoning or the Board of Adjustment.
Aldermen work with city staff to develop and approve the city’s annual budget.
Aldermen are expected to attend all meetings with only unavoidable and reasonable exceptions.
A few afterthoughts
The above isn’t an exhaustive list of qualifications or responsibilities, but hopefully it gives you some idea of what being an alderman is like. If you are interested in learning more, the links mentioned — particularly the MML guidebook — should provide access to some good information to explore. I’m also always happy to answer your questions via email or phone call.
A write-in candidacy is pretty straightforward. In a small town like Willard, merely getting-out-the-votes of your friends, your family, and your neighbors can easily lead to a seat on the board.
And it may just be something to consider.
An addendum
I noticed the morning after publishing this article that Ms. Rowe now has an official website linked here.
Mayor Samuel Snider does not appear to have a website, but his Facebook page is linked here.