By Allen Edmonds
After nearly a month of, first, jockeying for position on the ballot, then last-minute decisions to jump in the ring, candidate filing has completed across North Cass. Except, of course, for City of Raymore, which remains tied to its charter-dictated process for accepting candidates on a schedule that lasts well into January.
After what appeared to be shaping up for an uneventful election, the Belton City Council will now feature races for three of the four open council seats.
Norman K. Larkey, Sr., will run unopposed for a second term as mayor, but Carl “CJ” Shutt has filed to challenge incumbent Alex McCallum in Ward 1.
Incumbent James Pryan will run unopposed in Ward 2, but Jamie Ruggles will challenge her neighbor, incumbent Chris Richardson in Ward 3.
And in Ward 4, Random Coffeehouse owner Gregory Schrodt will take on incumbent Bret White.
The Belton School District will not need an election in April as the only two filers were the incumbents, Karen Fletcher and Jerry Miller.
The same situation exists in the Raymore-Peculiar School District, where Carol Barnes and Dan Garrison have filed for two open positions.
The South Metro Fire Protection District has two open positions, and they will be filled by the only two filers, Steve Trautman and Steve Phillips.
The same scenario applies for the West Peculiar Fire Protection District, where incumbent LeAnn Collins filed to keep her seat, the only open position.
The City of Peculiar will be the site of a couple of crowded races. While incumbent Ward 3 alderman Mike Gallagher was the only candidate to file for his position, Ward 1 will have a three-person race and Ward 2 will feature four candidates.
In Ward 2, incumbent Danny Smith is being challenged by Stefanie Grunwald, Mike Bayers and Tim Wiseman.
And in Ward 1, Bruce Conrad is not running for re-election, while Michelle Beard, Tony Jarrett and Heather Kettler will vie for his seat.
In Raymore, where filing doesn’t close until Jan. 21, incumbent Mayor Kris Turnbow, Ward 2 Councilmember Joseph W. Burke III, Ward 3 Councilmember Kevin Barber and Ward 4 Councilmember Thomas Engert are running unopposed so far.
In Ward 1, incumbent Donald Baker is being challenged by former Councilmember Reginald Townsend, who lost to challenger Brian Mills last year.
The election is set for April 8.
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