Governor appoints Butler County collector

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday appointed Mark Christopher Michel as the new Butler County collector to fill the remaining term of Brenda Fox, who died Aug. 3.

"I'm thrilled, absolutely honored and excited to get started," Michel said. "It is time to get work done and I'm ready to work."

Michel, 57, had been selected by the Butler County Democratic Central Committee to be on the Nov. 4 general election ballot as the Democratic candidate for county collector.

Democrats selected Michel on Aug. 7 because of his background in business and because he is a family man with five sons, ages 18 to 29, said Shirley Hindman, chairwoman of the Butler County Democratic Central Committee.

He had been working as an independent agent for Aflac Insurance. He previously operated Snapshots, a photography and photo finishing firm.

Nixon's delay in appointing Michel, initially blamed on being involved with handling unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a white police officer shot an unarmed black teenager, delayed the disbursement of tax revenue to all the taxing entities in the county. The annual county tax sale was canceled because of not having a collector.

Michel will distribute the tax revenue for August as soon as possible.

His Republican opponent in the general election is Emily Clark Parks, 32, the director of development and government affairs at Three Rivers College. She was selected by the Butler County Republican Central Committee on Aug. 25.

A third candidate, Tammy Marler, filed Monday as an independent write-in candidate.

Marler has worked in the county clerk's office for 23 years and served as office manager for the past eight years.

She sought to become the Republican nominee, but the Republican Central Committee members selected Parks by a 14-8 vote.

Fox worked in the collector's office for 14 years before being elected collector in 1998. Her term expires Feb. 28.

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, Mo.