Three Ward 5 residents seek temporary Cape Council seat

Three Cape Girardeau Ward 5 residents have applied to temporarily fill a vacant city council seat, prompted by the election of Bob Fox as mayor earlier this month.

Fox served as Ward 5 councilman for two years before becoming mayor.

The three applicants are Kyle Schott, regional director of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri; Ryan Essex, chief operating officer with Gibson Recovery Center; and Eric �Red� Redinger, associate director of recreation services at Southeast Missouri State University, city officials said.

The deadline for applying for the temporary position ended at 5 p.m. Monday.

Council members have announced they plan to hear from the applicants and make the appointment at their May 7 meeting.

The appointee will serve on the council until a successor is elected Aug. 7 or Nov. 6, depending on the number of people who file as candidates, officials said.

The elected candidate will fill out the remainder of the unexpired term, which ends in April 2020.

In addition to applying for the temporary position, Essex also has picked up a nominating petition indicating he is interested in seeking election to the seat, deputy city clerk Bruce Taylor said Monday.

The filing period for candidates in the special election opened April 24 and will close at 5 p.m. May 22, Taylor said.

City officials released the applications filed by the residents seeking the temporary position. The three applicants explained why they wanted to serve on the council.

Schott wrote he has become �intimately involved with serving people in need in Cape Girardeau.� He added he has worked with city employees, the Ministerial Alliance and multiple agencies in the community.

�My desire is strictly as a mission to serve the community and serve as a voice for Ward 5,� Schott wrote.

Essex, in addition to his job at the Gibson Center, serves as president of the Missouri Credentialing Board, an organization that credentials more than 2,000 behavioral health professionals throughout Missouri.

Essex wrote he has seen �first hand the intersection of substance abuse, crime and poverty. I believe that I can bring a unique perspective to the city council on this particular issue.�

He added he also is �very passionate� about parks and recreation efforts in the city.

Redinger described himself as �a level-headed, reasonable person who will put the city of Cape Girardeau�s interests ahead of personal interest.�

He wrote, �I am a centered, independent thinker who can, and does make decisions based on logic and the greater good.�

Redinger added, �I love this community and am willing to serve to add value to the council and, in turn, enrich the lives of those that live, work and visit Cape.�

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.