Cape County commissioner faces challenger over road, courthouse issues

Cape Girardeau County District 1 Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper faces a challenge in the Republican Party primary Tuesday from challenger Shawn Peetz, who has pushed to improve county roads.

The winner will be assured of election, as he will be unopposed in the general election in November.

Peetz, who operates a family farm outside Jackson and is employed with a hauling excavating company, previously worked for the Cape Girardeau County highway department for a decade.

Peetz said the county government needs to better maintain the hundreds of miles of gravel roads. He said the county highway department needs to mow the grass along rights of way more than twice a year.

In his role as commissioner, Koeper oversees county road operations. He said the county has been paving seven to eight miles of gravel roads each year.

Shawn Peetz

“I feel we have made major improvements,” said Koeper, who lives in Jackson.

The county maintains close to 400 miles of roads, about half of which are paved, Koeper said. The goal is pave all county roads, but that will take some time, he said.

The county government requires property owners to provide additional easements before gravel roads are paved. Thirty-five to 40 miles of roads are on a waiting list for paving, Koeper said.

Koeper, a civil engineer who previously worked for a large construction company, said he believes his expertise helps with planning and supervision of road projects.

But Peetz said changes are needed in the road program. He said he wants to evaluate the county’s roads and “develop a plan to create safer, more well-kept roadways.”

He contended the county government needs to do a better job of spending taxpayer money.

“If elected, I will oversee conservative spending on projects while revamping and establishing a work-within-budget method,” Peetz said.

Peetz said he wants the county to buy materials or contract for services with local businesses when possible.

“I feel like customer services should be No. 1,” Peetz said of county government operations. He said he considers taxpayers to be the customers of county government.

Koeper, who has served nearly eight years on the commission, is seeking re-election to another four-year term,.

“I feel like I have a lot to offer,” he said.

Koeper supports the commission’s plan to consolidate circuit-court services in Jackson, the county seat. The county holds court in the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau and the courthouse in Jackson. Both buildings are well over a century old, he said.

The county commission plans to build a “centrally located courthouse” next to the county jail in Jackson.

“This building will consolidate the two courthouses into one, allowing the movement of prisoners from the jail to the courtroom in a safe manner,” Koeper said.

Peetz opposes the plan. He said the county should continue to operate in both courthouses. He said that would be less expensive than building a new county administrative building.

“I don’t see spending millions of dollars,” he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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