INCUMBENTS FACE RARE CHALLENGE IN JACKSON RACES

JACKSON -- The scene at Jackson City Hall was typical for an election year.

It was Tuesday morning, the first day to file for a seat on the Jackson Board of Aldermen, and all the incumbents hurried in to sign up for another campaign and, if they're fortunate, another two-year term.

Two others came in to do the same. Larry Cunningham filed for Ward 3 alderman and John Powers for Ward 4.

It meant a little more excitement in a town used to one-candidate races. Last year, four aldermen, the mayor and the city collector ran unopposed. Four aldermen ran unopposed for re-election in 1992.

Residents attributed those years to a little of everything -- apathy, satisfaction and aversion to an alderman's sometimes difficult job.

This year, the two non-incumbents have very different views on why more people decided to run. One says the people are disgruntled, the other that people simply will be happy to have a choice.

Powers moved to Jackson two years ago and didn't try to hide his distrust of city government in announcing his candidacy. He began attending Board of Aldermen meetings last year when the city decided to improve Oak Hill Road, the gravel road on which Powers and his wife, Ruth, live.

After initial estimates that property owners would pay about $15 per foot of frontage, the total tax bill came to $36.75. Powers wasn't happy.

"The people were deceived altogether," he said. "The amount that came back was over twice the amount stated."

In a written statement to the press, Powers said the city has passed zoning changes against people's will and caused private property damage without just compensation.

He said he would work for better fire protection in his ward and a park within walking distance.

Powers' spent 20 years in the Air Force and eventually became a self-employed construction contractor specializing in swimming pool installation. His wife, Ruth, works for the U.S. Postal Service in Cape Girardeau.

He will run against incumbent Fred Leimer, a lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau County who was elected to the Jackson Board of Aldermen in 1994.

A 1978 graduate of Haywood Technical Institute, Leimer owns Leimer and Wessell Construction Inc. He has one son, 7-year-old Austin.

He counts the Interstate 55 water tower, Phase I of the Main Street extension project, and the Brookside Park upgrading among his accomplishments.

It doesn't bother him to have competition in his ward although some other aldermen likely won't, Leimer said. He won his seat in a close race.

"I still have all my phone lists and everything," he said. "And I'm not sure if the other candidate wants to help the city or if he's just upset."

In the only other race developing so far, Larry Cunningham is running against 11-year aldermanic veteran Glenn Oldham in Ward 3.

Cunningham, co-owner of Cunningham Bros. Appraisal Service in Jackson, served on the Planning and Zoning Board for the past year and a half. He said he is duty-bound to contribute his experience in real estate and planning to the citizens of Jackson.

"I care about the city of Jackson and its growth," Cunningham said. "It's at its pinnacle, and I'd like to be part of the decisions being made."

He said having other people file for office after last year's all-incumbent race didn't mean much.

"I've talked to several people about that, and it's just a matter of whether you look at it positively or negatively," Cunningham said. "It's good that the people have a choice."

Oldham first was elected in April 1984, and this will be his first real campaign since. He said he will run on his record -- one of establishing a new City Hall and sewer plant and an improved electric system.

Oldham and his wife, Mary Sue, have three grown children. He is a service technician at Coca-Cola Bottling Plant and has lived in Jackson for 38 years.

"I think the challenges coming up will be finishing the East Main Street extension project, which will be a long time coming, and keeping up with Jackson's growth," he said. "It takes a lot of planning."

Kerry Hoffman and Dave Reiminger are running unopposed so far in Ward II, Hoffman to complete a one-year term and Reiminger for a new two-year term.

It will be Reiminger's third election -- he ran to finish out Phil Johnston's unexpired term in 1993, then ran for a full term in 1994. This time, his main focus is on a comprehensive plan for Jackson.

"We haven't had one since 1981," Reiminger said. "There are only two things on that one we haven't completed yet, and that's the east-side fire satellite and an expanded library. We need a new, total city growth plan."

Reiminger and his wife, Fay, have three sons. He owns Overhead Door Co. in Jackson.

Hoffman was appointed to the board in 1995 when alderman Kevin Sawyer resigned one month after his re-election. He works in the fire protection department at Procter and Gamble, and he and his wife, Linda, have two sons.

Hoffman said that after Mayor Paul Sander called and asked if he would like to be on the board, he made a commitment to himself.

"I decided to try it for a year and see if it was a fit for my work and family life," he said. "After eight months, I feel like it is, and I feel I've made some contributions to the city and learned a lot."

Ward 1 Alderman David Ludwig has served on the Jackson Board of Aldermen 14 years -- the longest of any current Jackson official -- and is running again. He is an account representative for Moore Business Forms Inc.

He and his wife, Janet, have a son and a daughter. Ludwig is a lifelong resident of Jackson, a Vietnam War veteran of the U.S. Navy and a member of several local organizations.

"I enjoy the work and feel it is an honor to serve the citizens of Jackson," he said. "We are in a very progressive mode, and there are some projects that need immediate attention."

He listed an east-side electrical substation, a stoplight at Highway 72/34 and Route PP and a fire department satellite in Northeast Jackson among those projects.

The deadline for filing is 5 p.m. Jan. 30 at Jackson City Hall.