Two hopefuls plan run for Columbia City Council
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Two people have signaled a run for spots on the Columbia City Council next April.
Andrea Waner and Philip Merriman have filed paperwork with the Missouri Ethics Commission to run for the Second and Sixth Ward seats respectively in 2021. Neither have run for public office before this.
Waner has experience with Columbia city government and policy. She worked as the spokesperson for the Columbia/Boone County Department of Health and Human Services. She currently serves on the city's Commission on Human Rights.
Merriman owns Seraphim Systems, an information technology business. His campaign website lays out his support of encouraging small business creation and managing city finances "intelligently," without raising taxes.
"Successful city leaders can help to change this mindset by building a framework of governance that allows it's citizens to see a better future as a result of laying the proper foundations today," Merriman said. "This will also allow our city to be proactive, and not reactive, to the problems we face."
Candidates can file to run for city council next Tuesday. Each candidate must have 50 signatures from people living within their wards and registered to vote to qualify. The Second Ward covers north and northwest Columbia and the Sixth Ward covers east and southeast Columbia.
Current Second Ward councilman Michael Trapp has said he will not seek a fourth term on the council. Sixth Ward councilwoman Betsy Peters has not said whether or not she will run for a third term.
Peters won her second term on the council unopposed in 2018. She narrowly won in 2015 over Ryan Euliss by 35 votes.
