Serving at the city level defines public service

Joe Uzoaru and Danny Essner have served their community, and each recently announced they will not run to keep their seats on the Cape Girardeau City Council.

Uzoaru is the councilman for Ward 1, elected to the position in 2014. Essner recently was appointed the councilman for Ward 6. In addition to their leaving, Ward 5 councilman Bob Fox announced plans to run for mayor, hoping to be the successor to Mayor Harry Rediger, who is term-limited.

That makes two wards up for grabs in the April election, along with the mayor’s seat, and nomination petitions to become a candidate begin at 8 a.m. Oct. 24. If Fox were elected mayor, his current seat would open.

Serving as a public servant is not for everyone. There’s virtually no pay for local positions, so people do so out of pure public service or personal ambition (or a healthy combination of the two) with little thanks for their commitment. They work jobs like the rest of us, then work some more for their community. That’s why we want to publicly thank councilmen Uzoaru and Essner for their time and effort to improve Cape Girardeau.

We all say we want to see change. We all can do it by voting, but a select few also can do it by leading. We encourage anyone who feels they can make a difference in this community as a leader to step forward. You have until 5 p.m. Nov. 21 to become a candidate.