Three Cape Girardeau City Council seats up for grabs in Tuesday's election

Cape Girardeau voters in wards 1, 2 and 6 will decide who represents them on the City Council.

In Ward 1, incumbent Daniel Presson will face Deborah Young. Ward 1 encompasses the northeast portion of the city.

In Ward 2, incumbent Shelly Moore was unable to seek reelection, and in the February primary, Tameka Randle and Steve Watkins emerged from a crowded field for the chance to face each other in Tuesday's general election.

In Ward 6, a vacancy created by Coucilwoman Stacy Kinder's run for mayor has resulted in a race between Mark Bliss and Brandon Cooper. Ward 6 extends along the city's west side and into the south-central part of the city.

Presson and Bliss responded to requests for comment on issues facing city government. Efforts to receive comments from Cooper and Young were unsuccessful. (Answers may have been condensed.)

Ward 1

Daniel Presson

Hiring and retaining city employees has been a "top priority" for some time, yet many positions remain unfilled. If you were the sole council member, what specifically would you do to help find and retain municipal employees?

Deborah Young

Presson: "Recruit, recruit, recruit! We need to create a marketing campaign for Cape that showcases what our citizens love about the community and why it's a great place to live and work. With this messaging, let's work to recruit people away from major metropolitan areas and out of Illinois."

Public safety is a common theme touched on by many. Were you police chief, what would you propose to improve public safety and law enforcement's relationship with the community?

Presson: "I would maintain existing and add more school resource officers (SROs) to every public school. Youth need to see police officers daily to learn about the profession and trust the institution. Additionally, this would help the CGPD understand the intricacies of our community and gain trust among youth and families."

What are the three street projects/needs you believe are most important?

Presson: "Lexington — it's like the surface of the moon; Sprigg (Broadway to Bertling Street); Perryville Road (this has become a main community artery)."

At times, various organizations compare Cape Girardeau to other communities in the region. One glaring difference between Cape and many of these other communities is a lack of investment in major parks and recreation infrastructure, especially trails that link recreation and commercial areas. Where does parks/recreation spending rank on your municipal spending priority list, and why?

Presson: "Parks can attract residents, retirees, students, and businesses — our park system is used as a recruiting tool by every institution in this community. Parks & Recreation projects are mostly funded by special taxing initiatives (PRS) where projects are spelled out to voters. This would rank mid-level on my spending priority list because the department is annually fairly balanced and so many families and citizens take advantage of programs and facilities. We need to maintain parks funding and find efficiencies to improve the health of the community and to work toward growth."

Cape Girardeau has been slow to raze dilapidated/dangerous buildings, be they residential or commercial. Some of these catch fire. Some are public safety hazards. Where do you stand on the issue of dilapidated/dangerous buildings that are privately owned?

Presson: "We need to incentivize a sale to a restoring party or tear them down and send the owner a bill. Citizens should not be stuck with dilapidated buildings just because the owner lives out of town or simply doesn't care."

Ward 6

Mark Bliss

Hiring and retaining city employees has been a "top priority" for some time, yet many positions remain unfilled. If you were the sole council member, what specifically would you do to help find and retain municipal employees?

Brandon Cooper

Bliss: "We need to provide more competitive pay to recruit and retain employees. The city's new internet sales tax will provide additional funding to boost pay. But we also need to strengthen city leadership to foster better employee relations and promote a healthy work environment."

Public safety is a common theme touched on by many. Were you police chief, what would you propose to improve public safety and law enforcement's relationship with the community?

Bliss: "I would look to fill the numerous vacancies in our police department, which requires the city to provide not only competitive salaries but positive leadership to provide a good work environment. The city has plans to open a substation on the city's south side. I favor that move. I also would like to see more neighborhood outreach efforts to improve communication between residents and police. Better policing requires better staffing."

What are the three street projects/needs you believe are most important?

Bliss: "The No. 1 priority is street maintenance. Many city streets are falling apart. They have crumbling pavement because years ago concrete pavements were poured directly atop dirt rather than over a gravel base. The city in recent years has budgeted millions of dollars to street repairs, but many roadways still need to be addressed. The city must upgrade existing streets before pouring tax dollars into new streets. Secondly, the city needs to finish those street projects that are already on the drawing board. Lastly, we need to look at possible public-private partnerships to facilitate more timely street construction at a savings to taxpayers."

At times, various organizations compare Cape Girardeau to other communities in the region. One glaring difference between Cape Girardeau and many of these other communities is a lack of investment in major parks and recreation infrastructure, especially trails that link recreation and commercial areas. Where does parks/recreation spending rank on your municipal spending priority list, and why?

Bliss: "I believe we have a great parks system. In 2018, city residents voted to extend a sales tax to fund park and stormwater improvements. Parks and recreation infrastructure is a vital quality-of-life issue. But we've invested heavily in parks and recreation in recent years. Going forward, the focus needs to be on fixing our streets."

Cape Girardeau has been slow to raze dilapidated/dangerous buildings, be they residential or commercial. Some of these catch fire. Some are public safety hazards. Where do you stand on the issue of dilapidated/dangerous buildings that are privately owned?

Bliss: "Vacant buildings are not only a safety hazard, but a quality-of-life issue. I believe the city needs to take a more aggressive stance toward removal/repair of vacant buildings through better and more timely enforcement of the city's public nuisance law."

Ward 2

Tameka Randle

In February's primary, Randle won a majority (58%) of the 237 votes cast, while Watkins won about 12%.

Steve Watkins

Randle, executive director of the PORCH initiative, has served with several community and municipal organizations, including Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Advisory Board. Her campaign has focused on "common sense solutions to bring people together."

Watkins owns The Forge, an event venue, and Ironman Forge, a custom knife shop. He previously said he wants to encourage investment in the ward, which represents the southwest corner of the city.

"The biggest and hardest focus is getting people comfortable with investing their money over here," Watkins said of South Cape Girardeau. "I've invested mine, and I believe in this area. I'm very pleased with what I've been able to accomplish over here, and I think other people can do the same."