Four seats are open on the Byrnes Mill Board of Alderpersons in the April 2 election, but voters will only have choices to make for two of them.
Incumbent Robert Prado is running unopposed for his fourth two-year term representing Ward 1.
Jason Matthews was appointed to Ward 3 to replace Rob Kiczenski, who was appointed as mayor after Susan Gibson resigned in April 2018 for health reasons, and faces no opposition for the final year of the two-year term.
In Ward 2, Jerry Klipsch, who was first elected in 1997, faces his first-ever challenge this spring, as Bob Mahlandt is seeking to unseat him.
Neither returned a Leader candidate questionnaire.
In Ward 3, Bill Ludwig is challenging former mayor Mary Scheble, who is running for her fifth two-year term.
Ludwig did not return a Leader candidate questionnaire.
Board members are not paid.
WARD 3
SCHEBLE, 71, lives at 3660 Woodview Drive. She and her husband, former alderman John Scheble, have nine grandchildren. She recently retired after working for 38 years as a registered nurse at Missouri Baptist Hospital. She received a nursing degree from Jefferson College.
She was the mayor during the city’s first eight years and helped establish the city’s recycling center and sewer system. She has volunteered as a tutor for the Northwest R-1 School District and currently volunteers with the city’s fall festival and Shop with a Cop program at Christmas.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Scheble: Maintaining a responsive police department and keeping neighborhoods safe. Also to keep our roads safe and well-maintained. We address this by staffing with quality people who use taxpayer money wisely.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Scheble: I have a lot of experience and understand the need to keep taxes low and make the money we have work. I hope to continue with road improvements, continue to encourage a good relationship with our residents and the police, continue making the park a meeting place for families and friends, and explore the opportunity for a single waste hauler to decrease the damage to our roads.
In light of recent turmoil in your police department, what plan do you have to address it?
Scheble: When we learned about the problem with our police officers, we immediately contracted an outside source to initiate an investigation. We hired new leadership who could understand the current needs for policy and procedure updates and follow them. Our current chief has turned our police department around, implemented general orders and hired quality officers.