Jefferson City voters re-elected three of their Council Members Tuesday, and elected two new members.
In Ward 1, incumbent David Kemna ran unopposed.
In Ward 2, incumbent Laura Ward won re-election, defeating challenger Edith Vogel.
Scott Spencer won the election for the Ward 3 seat, one of the two newcomers elected Tuesday. Spencer, who was born and raised in Jefferson City, understands the importance of hard work and the pride that comes from it. As a member of the fire service Spencer believes in servant leadership and putting others before oneself. He plans to put public safety, infrastructure, and economic development at the forefront of his leadership, and intends to maintain sidewalks and streets and address stormwater issues while balancing rising prices. He also believes it is important to equip those in public safety for challenges while also meeting community needs and wants to start an economic partnership between Jefferson City and Cole county.
Spencer has been married to his wife Tisha for 23 years and has two children, 16 year old Rylee and 12 year old Addyson. He graduated from Jefferson City High School and is retired from the Jefferson City Fire Department after 25 years. After winning the election by 180 votes Spencer said, “I feel very blessed and it’s nice that when you put a lot of work into something that it pays off the way he wanted it to, and I’m just appreciative of this whole process.” Spencer created a platform to reach citizens with the pandemic by making a website and Facebook page for his campaign. Spencer also said that the best thing about the election was the friendships he has made and meeting new people.
In Ward 4, voters elected Derrick Spicer, the other newcomer to the board.
Spicer lives and works in the Fourth Ward he now represents as the director of sales for the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Jefferson City. He considers himself both a businessman and a people person.
Among his goals for the Fourth Ward and Jefferson City is infrastructure improvements. Spicer said stormwater drainage and road improvements would help his community.
In addition to infrastructure, Spicer believes public safety should be improved. He cites low pay and not enough funding as current issues the Jefferson City Police Department is facing.
In Ward 5, Mark Schreiber was re-elected to his fourth term
Schreiber says he was “very happy with how the election went,” and offered praise for his opponent, Alicia Edwards.
Schreiber has long pushed for the redevelopment of the Missouri State Penitentiary, which he says would help tourism in Jefferson City. Schreiber believes that “a great deal of the future of Jefferson City is based on tourism.”
While tourism is certainly Schreiber’s main goal for this term on the City Council, Jefferson City’s infrastructure is also a priority of his. “I’m certainly concerned, as were other candidates,” Schreiber says, “with the infrastructure in Jefferson City. We have some very specific needs.” Those needs, he says, lie not only in roads but in utilities for the city as well.
Schreiber has a 42-year background in public safety and says he hopes to maintain Jefferson City’s strong program in that area.
This upcoming term will be Schreiber’s final, as he will hit his term limit.