Four candidates are running for Butler County’s eastern district commissioner.
Dan St. Lawrence, Wes Gilmore, Ralph Stucker, Rowdy Boyer and Andy Clark are seeking the position currently held by Don Anderson, who is not running for re-election.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat candidate Van Rhodes in the November general election. Rhodes is running unopposed in the primary.
New county officers will be sworn in at the beginning of January.
Candidates were asked the same questions and their answers run in ballot order. Minor edits for clarity have been made to the responses.
Dan St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence says he is running for office to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Butler County. “I feel that I have a deep understanding of county policies and feel that I will be able to manage the county budget effectively.”
What characteristics would make you a good fit for this position? 45 years construction, 36 years business owner; budget, finance, contracts. 19 years volunteer work in the community. Butler County Fire Department, emergency management, Southeast Missouri Search and Rescue, Southeast Missouri Amateur Radio Association, SEMA and FEMA.
What do you hope to accomplish? Not answered
Are there any recent actions by this office you agree or disagree with? Why? The securing of grants for the nutrition centers. In today’s economy, I believe it is very important to keep these facilities funded. Meals provided from these places might be the only meals for some citizens for the day.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the county/area served by this office and how would you address them? Preparing the county for future growth. Having the vision to assess current strengths and needs and then envision and communicate a future that builds upon the former. Promote growth through development of housing and business that would increase tax base without raising taxes.
Are there any additional needs you want to address? Address the flooded road issues throughout the county along with culvert replacement and/or clean out.
Wes Gilmore
Gilmore said he is running for office because he is semi-retired now and has the time to dedicate to this position.
What characteristics would make you a good fit for this position? I have 25 plus years of being a business owner here in the Eastern District of Butler County. I believe this job requires a lot of management skills. I currently own Gilmore Land Clearing, so I’m very knowledgeable of heavy equipment and cost to maintain the roads of the county.
What do you hope to accomplish? Planning for the future of Butler County.
Are there any recent actions by this office you agree or disagree with? Why? None
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the county/area served by this office and how would you address them? I’m assuming from being in business, it would be our finances and budgeting with considering the inflation we have at this time. Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel. I would address this by listening to the citizens and interacting with fellow commissioners to do what’s best for Butler County.
Are there any additional needs you want to address? I will do my best for the citizens of Butler County in a fair and impartial manner.
Ralph Stucker
Stucker says he is running for office because he believes his extensive knowledge and experience in working with the public, and business and government agencies would make him an asset to the county residents and county wide departments. “Since I’m retired, I have the time to dedicate to our county without having to work around a current employer or job. Our community has been very good to me over the years and I look forward to the opportunity to give back to the residents of our county.”
What characteristic would make you a good fit for this position?
With my many years as fire chief of the Poplar Bluff Fire Department, I have been responsible for developing multimillion dollar budgets as well as looking to the future to ensure we meet the growth of the community. I have worked well with community partners, state and federal agencies to find solutions to problems. I will always listen, research and decide for the benefit of the county.
What do you hope to accomplish? I would like to work to see that the county has continued growth, and work with other county officials to ensure the county has an adequate workforce and that we maintain competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain quality employees. I would also like to work on a solution to the flooding and drainage issues that our county continues to experience. This will require working with local, state and federal partners.
Are there any actions by this office you agree or disagree with? Why? I feel the county has operated professionally. Without knowing the full details surrounding a decision, I would not criticize any decision that has been made.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the county/area served by this office and how would address them? With the nearing completion of the last phase of the Interstate 57 project, our county will need to be ready to meet the potential increased opportunity for growth. I feel that the county commissioners need to stay in close contact with our Chamber of Commerce, and state and federal legislators so that we will be informed in order to meet any new opportunities for Butler County.
Are there any additional needs you want to address? We need to continue working with the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission to seek grant funding to help with infrastructure improvements that will continue to be needed in our county.
Rowdy Boyer
Boyer said he is running for office to be the voice of the people who live in the Butler County area. “To maintain, repair, and improve the roads, drainage and bridges in Butler County’s Eastern District.”
What characteristics would make you a good fit for this position? I am not a career politician. But I have extensive experience as well as knowledge in construction and development, which uniquely positions me with knowledge as well as the know-how to address these critical needs. Boyer Construction & Development has thrived in the Butler County area for 33 years with myself in the field working with my crew.
What do you hope to accomplish? Attracting new businesses creates new jobs, as well as boosts the local economy. Also work with the educational system to create more opportunities for the citizens of Butler County.
Are there any recent actions by this office you agree or disagree with? Why? In my opinion, the current administration has done a good job. With that said, there is always room for improvement and for us to learn from mistakes made, as well as positives they achieved.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the county/area served by this office and how would you address them? The lack of communication between the office with its community. There should be town hall meetings held so the office has the ability to hear the community’s concerns, as well as their possible solutions. And so the office can have collaboration with the local individuals, as well as inform them on what is being done to address these concerns.
Are there any additional needs you want to address? First, I would like to address the drainage issues in Butler County as it is causing property values to be lowered as well it being costly on the people of Butler County.
Andy Clark
Clark says he is running for office to use his knowledge and experience to serve the community of Butler County. “I believe that my experience in business and service within the county and city makes me a unique and more qualified candidate for this position.”
What characteristics would make you a good fit for this position? I am a hard-working, dedicated, common-sense individual that is capable of using my past experience and connections to help make decisions that better the people and property of the county. I’ve been in business for myself for over 50 years as a farmer. I’ve served on numerous boards: Ozark Border Electric for 21 years, M&A Electric for eight years, Public Water Supply District 1 for 12 years, Missouri Rice Council for 20 years, Drainage District 7 for over 20 years, and Soil and Water Board for over 10 years. On these boards, I’ve helped with budgeting, labor negotiations and everyday business. I established, owned and operated Fishin’ Pig restaurant for over nine years, where we employed over 20 people.
What do you hope to accomplish? To help serve the people of Butler County by taking the job seriously and working hard alongside the other commissioners. I plan to establish a working relationship with the county workforce, including courthouse administrators and staff.
Are there any recent actions by this office you agree or disagree with? Why? There are always disagreements, but I think overall I think the commissioners have done a good job.
Biggest Challenges: Two commissioners are retiring so the experience at those positions could potentially be lacking. I aim to fill that void. My experience will allow me to utilize taxpayer resources more efficiently and avoid wasteful spending, while still prioritizing the needs of the county effectively.
Are there any additional needs you want to address?
I’m concerned about the flooding and levee protection in Butler County as a whole. I also feel bridge repair and replacement has taken far too long. If elected, I would do what I could to correct those issues.
Editor's note - This article has been corrected to include information about Rhodes.
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