Shortened Filing Period for April General Municipal Election

By: Travis Naughton

The general municipal election scheduled for April 5, 2022, will feature contests for several important offices in Southern Boone County. In addition to positions on the SoBoCo School District Board of Education, three Ashland alderman contests will be decided upon by voters as well. The city of Ashland will also be choosing a new mayor, after current mayor Richard Sullivan announced this week that he will not seek re-election. Mayor Sullivan released the following statement explaining his decision: “It’s been an honor to serve our growing city for the past three and a half years. Two years as Ward Two Alderman and currently as Mayor. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed providing leadership working with the board of aldermen, city staff, developers, and residents as Ashland continues to thrive as one of the fastest growing communities in our state. I’m grateful for every person who has and continues to support my role as a public servant. Life is full of challenges and we never know what tomorrow may bring. In recent months, I’ve been juggling and navigating the unexpected decline in my aging parent’s health. My father particularly will need and rightly deserves more of my time and attention as he struggles with the ongoing cognitive issues he’s facing. Those family and friends closest to me know how hard this decision has been, but I will not seek a second term as mayor. I will, however, continue to support and invest in this community as much as possible even after my term is over in April 2022. Our community is full of competent and capable individuals. I will continue to encourage others to step up, get involved, and serve. I believe the best is yet to come as we collectively work together to keep the community we love and choose to call home always growing forward.” House Bill 271, signed into law by Missouri Governor Mike Parson last June, limited local officials’ authority to issue public health orders and outlawed vaccine passports. The measure also shortened the filing period for the coming election by two weeks. Candidates will now have from Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at 8:00am through Tuesday December 28, 2021, at 5:00pm to file for office.

See more in this weeks Boone County Journal