Schneider, Lanzotti to seek re-election to Cape Girardeau City Council; Tracy won't

The six-month marathon to the Cape Girardeau City Council election in April gets officially underway Monday when petitions become available for the three seats that are up for grabs.

But the race to represent Wards 3, 4 and 5 has gotten off to a snappy start, with two council members already announcing that they want keep their jobs and the other saying she has decided to give hers up.

In the coming weeks, Ward 4 representative Loretta Schneider and Ward 5's Mark Lanzotti intend to go door to door within their wards to gather the required 50 signatures to be turned in to the city clerk's office after the filing period opens Oct. 25.

On Friday, however, Debra Tracy confirmed that she does not intend to seek re-election to her Ward 3 seat, meaning the council will have at least one new face when it convenes the first time after the April 3 election.

"I just think that it's time," Tracy said. " ... I've had seven really good years and I feel like the opportunity is right for someone else."

Mark Lanzotti

Tracy, 58, was the only council member who spoke out against the Isle of Capri casino, expressing worries about increases in crime and for those who struggle with gambling addiction.

But Tracy -- who replaced Jay Purcell when he was elected to the county commission -- said she isn't stepping down because she dislikes the direction the city is heading. Her decision, she said, is mainly because she has taken a position as a pastor at a church in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She also works for the Cape Girardeau School District as an administrative assistant.

Tracy, who lost her bid for a Cape Girardeau's Missouri House seat last year, said she has just felt pulled in too many directions.

"My interests are just too divided," she said. "It's time to let go, to let someone fresh and new bring a new perspective and new deliberation to the position."

So the Ward 3 race is wide open, and Schneider and Lanzotti may find themselves in contested races, too, should others within their wards decide to run.

Loretta Schneider

Each council member represents a ward for a four-year term, and the mayor holds an at-large seat. City council candidates must be nominated by petition and those petitions must be filed between Oct. 25 and the filing deadline of Nov. 22, according to the city clerk's office.

If more than two candidates file for any one ward, a primary election will be held Feb. 7, preceding the general election. If fewer than two candidates file for each office, only the April 3 general election is required.

Candidates must be registered voters, at least 21 years old, a city resident for two years before the election and a resident of the ward they are running in for 90 days before the first filing date.

Tracy and Schneider have each served seven years, but both were elected in 2005 to fill the remainder of terms of two council members who resigned. Both are eligible to run again next year because the charter only prohibits council members from being in office longer than two consecutive four-year terms.

Lanzotti, first elected in 2008, is seeking his second consecutive term.

Lanzotti and Schneider both said they want to be re-elected because work remains.

"This is how I've given back to my community," said Lanzotti, a 41-year-old lawyer. "It took a while to figure out how things worked, to get a full understanding of the issues."

To not run again, Lanzotti said, would mean the community would lose some institutional knowledge. He'd also like to help guide the issues he helped champion come to fruition, he said, including the new Isle of Capri casino that is under construction.

Being in public office can sometimes lead to some public scrutiny, however. For example, Lanzotti took some heat for at least one of his positions during his first term. Last year, Lanzotti pushed for peripheral zoning, a plan that would have given the council development authority two miles outside the city's limits.

But opposition came out in droves from residents, particularly in the county, decrying the plan as infringement. They argued that city leaders had no right overseeing development in the county.

Still, Lanzotti said Friday he was glad that idea was discussed.

"It wasn't successful," he said. "But it elevated the discussion and brought the understanding of the potential problems forward. From that discussion, I hope that someday a finished product may evolve."

'Watershed moment'

Lanzotti also pointed to his participation in getting the Interstate 66 route study funded, which he called a "watershed moment." I-66 is an east-west highway that would connect Cape Girardeau to Paducah, Ky., cutting travel time from an hour and a half to 45 minutes.

While he was quick to note it required a cooperative effort from several agencies, he believes that once a route study is complete the project becomes shovel-ready.

"That project was still a concept, but once the funding is available, it's ready to go," he said. "That's a game-changer for this community."

For her part, Schneider, 74, has the distinction of being the first ever woman elected to the Cape Girardeau City Council. The retired teacher and was first elected in 1981 and served until 1985. There were no term limits then, leaving her free to run again during her most recent tenure.

Schneider also ran an unsuccessful bid for mayor, losing to Gene Rhodes in 1986.

"So I do have a lot of history with the council," she said. "Really, what motivated me at first is that we had never had a woman ever get elected. I had to run three times before I finally did."

Now Schneider sits on a council that has more women than men, including Tracy, Meg Davis Proffer and Kathy Swan.

After her time on the council in the 1980s, Schneider wasn't looking to run again. But when her council member, Hugh White, retired because he had accepted a job that would require a lot of travel, she considered it.

"I was just in a position where I thought, 'Yeah, I would like to run again,'" Schneider said.

She points to her work on the city's comprehensive plan, which she believes has brought about structured growth that makes for a better city. Economic development has been steady in her time on the council, she said. She also considers herself a staunch proponent of green space.

"I think I have a good record and friends that have followed my decisions I have made said they have respect for me," she said. "I've shown a lot of honesty and integrity and commitment to the city of Cape Girardeau. I would hope that voters would agree."

Ward borders changed

With six months remaining until the council election, some voters undoubtedly are unaware which ward they live in.

The council in June adjusted the city's ward boundaries to balance out population increases that were based on last year's decennial census.

The new map reflects a population increase of 2,592 people in the last 10 years to a total of 37,941. Most of the growth occurred in Wards 3, 4 and 6, making it necessary to shift population from those wards to Wards 2 and 5.

About 900 Cape Girardeau residents have been placed into new voting districts, changes which will affect the council election next year. According to the new map, 251 people who were eligible to vote in Ward 4 during previous council elections will now vote in Ward 5. About 390 people who were in Ward 3 are now in Ward 2, meaning those residents won't vote in the council election at all next year. The rest of the changes are outside the wards in the election.

But city officials have worked to make sure voters stay informed. The new ward map is available on the city's website and was adopted in time for voting records to be updated. Also, voter registration cards show which ward a resident lives in.

For those who are considering running for city council, Tracy wants to clear what she sees as a misperception. People who have talked about running have asked her how she tolerated the job.

"But has totally been a pleasant experience," Tracy said. "I've enjoyed it all."

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO