JACKSON INCUMBENTS WILL RUN AGAIN IN CITY ELECTIONS

JACKSON -- Six offices in the city of Jackson will come open this election, and all six current officeholders plan to run for them again.

Filing opens Tuesday at 8 a.m. in Jackson for the positions of mayor, four aldermen and city collector. The deadline is 5 p.m. Jan. 31.

Mayor Paul Sander was the first to announce he would seek a second term, releasing a statement Wednesday. He served seven years on the Jackson Board of Aldermen before running for mayor in 1993.

Aldermen who plan to run again are:

Ward I -- David Hitt, the newest member of the board, elected in 1993. He is most known for his work on the city's employee pay plan and the Planning Commission. Hitt and his wife, Janet, have three children, Kelly, 14, Lindsy, 10, and Michael, 8.

Ward II -- Kevin Sawyer, president of the board, elected in 1987. He has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and as a liaison to the Regional Commerce and Growth Association. He is married to Dominique Sawyer.

Ward III -- Val Tuschhoff, elected in 1990. She, too, serves on the street committee and as a board liaison to the library. Tuschhoff and her husband, Norman, have two grown children, Leon Tuschhoff and Saundra Perry.

Ward IV -- Jack Piepenbrok, who has served four terms beginning in 1986, chairs the street committee and is board liaison to the Jackson Public Library. He and his wife, Beverly, have two grown children, Andy Piepenbrok and Jessica Piepenbrok.

Also running for re-election is City Collector Beverly Nelson, who served 20 years as a secretary in the collector's office before winning her seat in 1991. She and her husband, Richard, have three grown children.

All of the officeholders said they planned to run because they didn't want to leave office during a transitional phase for Jackson.

The city, which is experiencing phenomenal residential growth, has plans for a new city hall, a new water tower near Interstate 55 and an extended East Main Street that reaches the interstate.