OZARK, MO — Ozark Mayor candidates are now circling like vultures waiting for the next election.
Once upon a time, this guy was the Ozark Mayor.
Then along came an election last year, way back in 2022. It happens. So, the mayor runs for Eastern County Commissioner, the seat he really wanted way back in 2020 and got second place to Lynn Morris. But now that Brad Jackson won his preferred seat, what happens to the mayor of Ozark thingy?
Mayor Pro Tem (fancy Latinese for Vice President Mayor) is RJ Flores. It’s his job by default. I never saw RJ put periods after his initials, so maybe his real name is RJ (not Rick James) but I’m too lazy to ask him, so you decide.
RJ didn’t want the job of Ozark Mayor either. I hear the pay isn’t much and the benefits suck! Oh, well, public service is definitely a thankless job! With public buildings collapsing on the square and all… it’s not an easy gig! (Somebody clean up this mess! Where’s the mayor? WHO’S the mayor?)
Meet the Ozark Mayor Candidates
Here are the three gentlemen running for mayor of Ozark: (Rumor has it, they actually want the job!)
I’ll list them alphabetically, by last name:
Eddie Campbell
This guy looks like a hillbilly from a 1960s Mt. Dew commercial. He normally wears a big ol’ broad brimmed hat. I think he could be mistaken as Willie Nelson’s cousin. (Willie’s gonna be 90 next month; the oldest legend in music still alive!) Hey, hold on a sec, with a name like Eddie Campbell, maybe he’s related to Glen Campbell. Eddie definitely has a country western musician vibe! He’s one of the Ozark city aldermen right now.
Don Currence
Next in the alphabetical Ozark Mayor ‘s race is Don Currence. Here’s his picture:
He attends the First Baptist Church of Ozark with Rick Gardner (another former Ozark Mayor and current city alderman). Currence is the only candidate who isn’t a current alderman. (read that sentence again, it’s got a cool word play thingy)
David Snider
Finally, we have David Snider, who’s name starts with an S so he’s at the end of the alphabetical list. As mentioned already, Snider is a current alderman. The MRA (cool kids in the Republican Party) have already decided to back him. But Eddie wasn’t there for the MRA meeting. So, he missed his moment.
Ozark Mayor candidates respond to CCT questions!
The Christian County Trumpet posed the following questions to each mayor candidate:
- What can you do for Ozark if elected Mayor?
- What would your opponents say is your weakness?
- Why are you running for Mayor?
#1 What can you do for Ozark?
Eddie Campbell
I can bring in small and large businesses. My 48-year career in Industrial and Commercial Construction Management as well as 35 years in Multi-Sport Competitions has yielded me a great number of contacts with “People in high places” (Hmm, I think Garth Brooks sang a song about that, or was it low places?) Anywho, I will work hard to bring businesses to Ozark. My plan is to increase our tax base, which can lead to tax DECREASES for our Ozark citizens.
DON CURRENCE
The reason I’m running for mayor is that I love this city. It has been a great home for my family these last 30 years. My two daughters have benefited greatly by going through the Ozark School District all 13 years. This is where my wife and I are going to retire in the future. With me going part-time at my church starting in April, I will now have the time to give back to our city as mayor. I realize my life as an administrator and my national service with the Southern Baptist Convention have given me the skills and relationship abilities necessary to serve as mayor in a city our size. I know how to work with people, but I also know how to lead when necessary. As I mentioned, coming June, I have lived in Ozark 30 years. Because of that amount of time, I have developed relationships with people in the city; from the school, County Court House, city officials, Fire Department, Police Department, Chamber, various service clubs and local businesses. Because of these relationships, I won’t have to spend time with people learning to trust my leadership as the Ozark Mayor but can hit the ground running in April. I have been attending City Council and Planning & Zoning meetings since November to have less of a learning curve if elected.
DAVID SNIDER
As the Mayor of Ozark, the safety of our citizens is a priority and will always come first. Our safety will never be compromised. A prosperous community cannot grow and flourish without the services of our police officers, firefighters, and emergency service responders.
I will work on attracting more businesses and encouraging the growth of locally owned businesses. This includes exploring the potential for more retail and industrial components. I would like to see Ozark as a “work force” and career destination for those who choose to live here, as well as commuters from other areas. This also includes reaching out to larger restaurant chains and travel centers for our visitors, guests, and “over-the-road” operators that provide shipments of goods and products to our community. The men and women that operate these commercial vehicles are a vital piece of our business puzzle.
I have a strong desire to help nourish the responsible and positive growth of our community. With the assistance from our elected officials, we will finish critical infrastructure projects that have already been started such as roadways, intersections, water and sewer grids. I do believe we need to stop and reassess any further developments, until we can confidently know the city’s infrastructure can support it. We will continue to work and improve on existing foundations, so that we can strengthen our city’s future.
#2 What would your opponents say is your weakness?
EDDIE CAMPBELL
My opponents would say that I am too blunt with people and my reputation for asking questions and holding people accountable rubs some people the wrong way.
DON CURRENCE
I am sure my opponents would say my weakness would be my lack of experience as a City Alderman or as a Mayor. But as I explained in my 1st question, I believe my life experience as an administrator and service on boards, has qualified me to serve as a great Mayor for Ozark.
DAVID SNIDER
I would say that one of my opponents believes multiple years in an elected capacity is advantageous to his campaign. My other opponents believe name recognition is a disadvantage to my campaign. Both of their beliefs could be deemed as a weakness in their individual opinions.
#3 Why are you running for mayor?
EDDIE CAMPBELL
I have more than one reason for running for Mayor. First, if I thought someone who could help the people of Ozark more than me, I would not run. Since 2008, I’ve served on two volunteer City Boards and on five terms, elected to the City Council as Ward 3 Alderman. I’ve raised thousands of dollars each for the local VFW Post and Senior Center, they received 100% of the money. I currently serve as the elected Precinct Committeeman for Christian County’s Riverside Township and Secretary for the 38th Judicial District. I’ve also served 8 years as the Ozark Police Department Liaison to Ozark City Council. Now that I am retired, I can work even harder to give back to my community.
DON CURRENCE
The reasons I am running for Mayor starts with my plan for growing our local economy and Ozark’s financial future. This is what my platform in running for Mayor is all about. We have to put Ozark on the map. Annually over 30 million cars come down the Highway 65 corridor and we must advertise our city in such a way that these people shop and dine in Ozark. We have great restaurants, wonderful antique/flea markets, unique downtown shopping and local attractions. With the hiring of a full-time Communications Director for the city, I would work with this person to network the local businesses to pool our local resources, applying for tourism grants to market ways to tap into these 30 million potential customers.
Along with this plan, I am planning on working alongside the Ozark Chamber to continue to strengthen its influence in our community. The city needs a strong Chamber to support our current businesses and be an advocate for potential businesses in our city. I want to bring back and promote Shop Ozark First. I realize the majority of our working population works in Springfield, but our citizens live and work in the city. They want good streets, good water and sewage, parks and trails and a strong public safety presence in our city. To continue to provide these services, we need to continue to support our sales tax revenue, by shopping first in Ozark, which in turn pays for these valuable services.
I have been attending the Show Me Christian County meetings, and if elected Mayor, I will be a champion voice for new economic development to come into our city. I will be attending trips to Jeff City along with the Show Me Christian County leadership to meet with our area reps to promote our city for potential economic developments. We need developments that bring high paying jobs into our city so that our children don’t have to move away from Ozark to earn a living.
DAVID SNIDER
I have a vested interest in Ozark, because it is where my wife and I chose to live and raise our son. A leader is only as strong as the people that he/she represents. Without the active involvement and engagement from our citizens, a governing body DOES NOT KNOW what issues or concerns are occurring in our city. COMMUNICATION is the number one failure in any organization or planning structure. I highly encourage everyone to become involved in our local government. This includes attending Board of Alderman, Planning and Zoning, and public meetings to ask questions and inquire about the topics at hand. Don’t be afraid or hesitant about contacting your elected officials.
Our city can and will thrive with the input from its citizens. They too, have a vested interest and a buy-in because their tax dollars are what allows our city function. As your Mayor you will always be listened to, and not just heard. The people will always come first!
Now it is up to you. You decide who to vote for as your next Mayor for Ozark!