Jackson to elect mayor, four aldermen

Five job openings for Jackson residents offer low pay and some late work hours but include a good benefits package for anyone who can stick with the work for five years or more. One hitch, however, is that candidates must pitch their resumes to several thousand bosses.

Filing opens Tuesday for four seats on the Jackson Board of Aldermen and the mayor's post, which is being vacated by 14-year veteran Mayor Paul Sander. Of the four seats on the April 3 ballot, two incumbents, Phil Penzel of Ward 1 and Valerie Tuschhoff of Ward 3, said they will seek new terms while Kerry Hoffman of Ward 2 said he's stepping down. Ward 4 incumbent Dale Rauh could not be reached for comment.

Two board members, Barbara Lohr of Ward 1 and David Reiminger of Ward 2, have announced plans to run for mayor. David Hitt, Cape Girardeau County director of emergency operations and a former board member, is the only announced candidate for the Ward 2 seat Hoffman is vacating. So far, no candidates have announced plans to challenge incumbents. Candidates have until Jan. 16 to file for office.

Aldermen are paid $125 a month, while the mayor receives $250. Anyone serving five years, which means winning three elections, is eligible to receive fully paid health insurance for themselves and their family, the same benefits available to Jackson city employees.

"The benefits package is good," Hoffman said. "But you have to complete two full terms. It was set up that way so people would not run for office strictly for the benefits. It is an extra benefit for someone who was truly going to stay a long time."

For a council member or regular employee receiving coverage for themselves, a spouse and children, the benefit costs the city about $900 a month, said Larry Koenig, assistant city manager.

Tuschhoff, who with almost 16 years in office is the longest-serving board member, said the benefit was added three or four years ago after city administrators urged aldermen to add themselves to the health insurance rolls.

"We do so much and don't get paid much, and this is a way to compensate us," she said.

Board members often spend many hours a week attending meetings, answering questions and complaints from constituents and representing the city at various social functions, she said.

She added that she doesn't believe the benefit is extravagant. "If anyone has got a better idea than we have, they are welcome to run against me," Tuschhoff said. "I have always tried to be as conservative as possible with the taxpayers' money."

Tuschhoff said her proudest accomplishment during her tenure is the construction of sidewalks to enhance the safety of schoolchildren and others walking along some of Jackson's busier thoroughfares. The projects aren't all finished, she said, but those that have been help people walking along Oak Street, Route D and connecting the schools to one another.

"The city has grown so much in the last 16 years, a lot of growth and a lot of change," she said. "I think the majority of the changes are for the good."

Penzel, who will be seeking his fourth term on the board, said he's most pleased with the East Main Street extension and interchange project as well as the widening of Highway 72, projects that the city has long needed. He's also happy wiith other infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to the city's water system.

"The interchange just speaks for itself," he said. "All the development out there is going to explode and that is a huge benefit."

Hitt, who was on the board from 1993 to 2001, said he's doesn't have a specific agenda he's pushing. He said he's pleased with the work of the current board and wants to join in the work. Hitt stepped aside in 2001 and moved outside the city but recently remarried and bought a home inside city limits.

"It is an exciting time, and there is a lot going on," he said. "I have no ax to grind."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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