FISCHER LEARNS FROM FATHER, USES TEAM IDEA TO GET THINGS DONE

Something J. Ronald Fischer learned when he was cutting his teeth on his father's grocery business never left him when he became a part of city and county government.

Fischer's father was an old German from Altenburg and Frohna, always known as a jovial person willing to work with people to get things done.

Fischer learned early that when you went to work in a management position, your personality had a lot to do with how the company functioned.

"If you walk through the front door saying hello to everybody and feeling good about the job you're doing, the people around you will pick up on that," he said.

He also learned over the years that Democrats and Republicans can position themselves along party lines before and after elections. But when the time comes to roll up your sleeves for hard work, everyone is back on the same team.

"When it was time to go to work, you took your political hat off and did what was good for Cape Girardeau County or the City of Cape," he said. "I was just lucky to be around people on the county commission like Gene Huckstep, Judge (the late Clarence) Suedekeum and so many others who felt the same way. The same thing happened when I worked for the city."

He will soon begin planning fishing trips instead of investment meetings and the like when he retires as Cape Girardeau's city manager.

"I told John Richbourg, our investment adviser, that I'll miss those investment planning meetings like I'll miss a sore tooth," he quipped Tuesday.

Fischer doesn't have any immediate plans when he retires. However, he will find something productive to do.

"I wanted to make the announcement to the city council to give them plenty of time to look for someone else," Fischer said, the day after announcing he would retire Aug. 1.

He was only required to give 30 days notice, but he wanted to make the announcement so the council would know his plans.

"I didn't want anything to get in the way of my day-to-day duties," he said.

Fischer, who will be 62 in July, said he and his wife, Edna Ruth, began thinking about retirement six months ago.

Then a month ago, they evaluated their future and decided to announce his retirement, he said.

In 1965, when Cape Girardeau voters changed to the city manager form of government, Fischer was elected to the first council. He was 31. A year later his colleagues on the council elected him mayor. He was the second youngest mayor to ever hold that city post.

After the death of Walter "Doc" Ford in 1968, the county Democratic committee recommended him to Gov. Warren Hearnes for the Cape Girardeau seat on the county court, which is now the county commission.

Hearnes appointed Fischer and voters later elected him to the post. Fischer was elected to the post nine times. He was opposed only three times, winning each election by a wide margin.

In his role as commissioner, Fischer is credited with playing a key role in guiding the county to being one of the state's more progressive and financially sound counties.

After the city council named him city manager in 1988, Fischer began to look at how he could improve the infrastructure.

"To develop anything you've got to have water and sewers," he said. "Rather than keep the sewers behind the development, we always kept it ahead of it. That's probably something people never saw, but they did notice when Wal-Mart and the hotels and the new steakhouse went up."

He is proud to have been part of considerable development over the last seven years. Fischer also feels good about being part of the $40 million Cape LaCroix-Walker Branch flood control project.

"In terms of funding and construction, it's only about half done, but it's going to be a tremendous asset to the city," he said. "We've already seen a glimpse of how important it will be after the last rain we had here."

He also played a role in helping the city boost the airport terminal. "The airport is the front door to the city," he said.

Something Fischer feels strongly about as he makes an exit after three decades of service is the transportation sales tax. The city council first voted to put the measure on the August ballot, then voted against the measure recently.

"That's something that would really be a tremendous asset to us," Fischer said. "If there is any need in taking care of the community's infrastructure, that is it. It's one of the biggest challenges that lies ahead."

SEVEN YEARS AS CITY MANAGER

Development and accomplishments during J. Ronald Fischer's seven-year tenure as city manager:

Acquisition of water system from Union Electric.

Twenty-year master plan for sewers.

Trunk sewer extensions to pave the way for new development.

Cape LaCrox-Walker Branch flood control project.

$3 million in renovation projects at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Negotiating contract with Boyd Gaming for casino in Cape Girardeau.

Implementing curbside recycling and overall plan to meet state and federal standards by 1999.

Five-year annexation plan for 1995-2000.