Incumbent Betsy Peters won the vote for Columbia City Council’s sixth ward Tuesday. This is her third term serving Columbia. She hopes to tackle a wide range of topics during this term, like police and firefighters’ funding, trash collection and Columbia’s taxes and environmental action plan.
“I’m very honored that the voters would return me for another three years. I’ll hope I’ll continue to represent the sixth ward, and do a good job of moving the city forward,” Peters said.
Previously a member of the East Campus Neighborhood Association and an alternate on the Columbia Board of Adjustment, Peters chose to run for a city council seat. After Barbara Hoppe didn’t run for a fourth term in 2015, Peters thought it was her time to seek election. She ended up defeating her opponent, Ryan Euliss. In 2018, she went on to run unopposed for her second term.
“The first election was the same as this: a nail biter. And the second one, no one ran against me. So for the second one it was no problem,” Peters said.
With two terms backing her, Peters feels she understands the city of Columbia and is able to make choices for her ward and the city.
She ran against local businessman Randy Minchew and Philip Merriman, owner of Seraphim Systems. Peters won the office with 895 of the 1,722 votes cast. Minchew had 746 votes, and Merriman had 81 votes.
“I wish Betsy the best, and I hope she represents everyone - not just the people who voted for her,” Merriman said.
Menchew congratulated Betsy, but he wished there would’ve been a better voter turnout.
“I appreciate everybody’s support. I can’t argue - they vote for what they vote for. I would’ve liked more people to turn out, but I’m proud of who got out to vote,” Menchew said.
