Retired businessman files to run for Perryville mayor in April election

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Mayor Debbie Gahan will face a man she describes as a "formidable" opponent in her re-election bid this spring, as retired businessman Ken Baer filed Monday to run against her.

In a telephone interview Monday, Baer said one of his primary motives in entering the mayoral race was to give voters a choice of candidates.

"The thing is, the people really deserve a choice," Baer said Monday. "We talk a lot about not enough candidates and not enough choices, and ... the mayor is the place to start with that."

Baer has some recent experience with Perryville politics, as he helped organize a successful campaign last fall against a referendum that, if passed, would have converted the police chief's role from an elected office to an appointed position.

Baer and four other opponents of the referendum sent a letter to Perryville voters, urging them to vote "no" on the ballot measure.

Reached by telephone Monday, Gahan said Baer called to tell her he planned to run against her -- a move she called "gracious."

"I never bear any malice toward anyone who runs for an office," she said. "I think it takes courage to run for office, and if you're doing it for the right reasons, let the voters sort it out."

Baer said if he is elected, he would make public works a top priority, using money from the city's cash reserve accounts -- which he said are larger than necessary -- to fund projects.

"What I propose to do is wisely direct this money into ... making improvements to our infrastructure," Baer said.

In an email message Monday evening, Gahan said a significant percentage of the city's reserves are in accounts dedicated to specific items.

She said Standard & Poor's recently examined the city's finances and confirmed the accounts are on target.

"We continue to be hit with unfunded federal mandates, especially in water and air quality, and having reserves to pay for high-end equipment is mandatory," Gahan said.

One infrastructure issue facing the city is the future of its sewer plant, which Gahan and other city leaders have worried could become obsolete as water-quality standards increase.

Baer agreed Perryville likely will need a new plant at some point in the next few years -- an expensive project, but one he said the city probably could fund with a bond issue.

Baer, a former Navy officer and retired businessman, said he gained experience working with cities as a consultant on public works and infrastructure projects as owner of Baer Engineering and Land Surveying.

In a statement emailed to local media outlets Monday, Gahan said she stands on her record.

"One of the many blessings we have as citizens is the opportunity to select our leaders based on their skills, their knowledge, their passion for the job, and their desire to serve," she wrote. "I stand on my record in all those categories, and the progress we have made during my terms as mayor. Ken Baer will be a strong candidate. I have a lot of respect for him and for his decision to run."

Baer said Perryville has been good to him and his family, and he is ready to give something back.

"I really have a heartfelt desire to offer my time and talents to the forward progress of our town," he said. "...I do have the time, and I do have the talent."

The filing period for the April 8 election ends Jan. 21.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

Perryville, MO