LITTLE INTEREST SHOWN IN CAPE COUNCIL SEATS

Few Cape Girardeau residents appear ready to run for City Council next April.

With the month-long filing period opening Wednesday for three council seats, only two people have taken out nominating petitions so far: incumbent Dr. Melvin Kasten and former councilman Hugh White. Both live in Ward 4 on the city's north side.

Other seats up for grabs are held by Melvin Gately and Jack Rickard.

The filing period ends Dec. 8.

Kasten, 71, plans to seek re-election to a second term. That leaves out White, who says he won't challenge the incumbent.

Gateley and Rickard still haven't decided if they will run. Gateley, completing a four-year term, represents Ward 5 and Rickard Ward 3. Rickard is completing an unexpired term.

Mayor Al Spradling III contends that the ward system discourages people from filing for council seats, particularly where incumbents are running.

Incumbents can lose more easily in an at-large election, he said. "If they are only popular in one part of town, they may get beat in the rest of the town."

Still, even he is surprised by the apparent lack of interest.

"I have enjoyed the City Council and I think one more term would be fun," Kasten said.

Kasten isn't planning to talk a lot about issues. He said he will run on his past accomplishments and his name recognition.

A longtime physician, Kasten's wife Mary is Cape Girardeau's state representative.

Except for Kasten, Spradling said no one has expressed any interest in running to him.

"I don't know if there aren't any major controversies that are getting people stirred up, or people just aren't interested in city government right now," the mayor said.

The April election will mark only the third ward election for council seats and only the second regular municipal election.

Spradling noted that this will be the first election where a councilman will be running as an incumbent in a ward.

Proponents of ward government had argued that the system would encourage more citizen involvement in local government. "I haven't seen it yet," Spradling said.

White ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in 1986 before winning a four-year term in 1988.

He first decided to run for re-election in 1992, but then withdrew his council candidacy to take a shot at the 27th District Senate seat. White came in third in the Democratic primary.

White doesn't think the ward system either discourages or encourages people to run.

Uncertainty over whether the incumbent councilmen would run may be one reason why no one else has picked up a nominating petition, he said.

To file for office, candidates must submit nominating petitions signed by at least 50 registered voters in their particular wards.

Under Cape's ward system, only the mayor is elected at large.

A primary election will be held Feb. 6 if more than two candidates file for any one ward seat. The general election is April 2.

Gateley and Kasten were elected under an at-large system in April 1992. But they will only have to win voter approval in their individual wards to get re-elected.

In November 1992, city residents voted to change to a ward system. The city was divided into six wards.

Rickard was elected in a special election in August 1994 to fill the seat vacated by Spradling when he was elected mayor.