Robert “Bobby” Venz
Sam Richards
Mike Cage has been mayor of Festus since April 2010, but after he announced late last year that he intended to retire, voters will choose a new leader in the April 2 election.
They will choose from two familiar faces in longtime council members Robert “Bobby” Venz, who represented Ward 3 for 14 years; and Sam Richards, who has served four years on the Festus City Council (2009-2011 and 2013-2015) and before that, four years on the Crystal City Council (2002-2006), in addition to his current 18-year tenure on the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District Board of Directors.
The mayor is paid $600 a month.
VENZ, 54, lives at 816 Horine Road. He and his wife, Freeda, have three children and three grandchildren. He is a sales manager for the Bauman Oil Co. in Herculaneum, and has worked there for more than 30 years. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he is a graduate of Festus High School.
His son, Jacob Venz, is a volunteer firefighter for the city.
RICHARDS, 74, lives at 1843 Championship Lane. He and his wife, Becky, have three children and five grandchildren. He is retired after working for Crystal City for 12 years as a police officer and code enforcement officer, and six years for G'sell Properties. He also served 23 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He attended Southeast Missouri State University from 1963-1965 and received an associate degree from Jefferson College in 1991. He was on the Twin City Area Chamber of Commerce board and is on the executive council of First United Methodist Church.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them? Venz: Salaries and the lagoon at West City Park. A firm hired by the city is conducting a study to determine if each employee’s level of pay is adequate for his or her job. Right now, West City Park has a lagoon. We are currently in the process of closing the lagoon and replacing it with a lift station. This will move the sewage from the park to the Festus-Crystal City sewer plant.
Richards: As the second-largest city in Jefferson County, Festus is facing exceptional growth over the next several years with planned commercial and residential development. It will be vitally important to manage this growth effectively. The next city council will face important decisions and require strategic leaders to address police and fire protection, manage traffic and infrastructure concerns and work closely with the school district and community organizations to capitalize on the southward growth pattern along the I-55 corridor.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Venz: I was born and raised in Festus and have lived here my whole life. My vision is to see the city prosper and grow to its fullest. Festus is a wonderful place to live and has great parks, schools and businesses. The people are open to new ideas and change. My goals are to help continue the growth of Festus. This will include bringing in more restaurants and retail, which would create a tax revenue.
Richards: I am retired so I plan to dedicate my time working as the mayor and improving the city overall. I will be in the office and available for residents to call. I plan to work on improving police and fire retention rates, establish a framework for working more closely with the schools and community organizations and develop a plan to address growth. My goal is to improve the quality of life by managing police and fire protection and address infrastructure concerns including roads, traffic, water and sewer.