Owensville voters will see a familiar slate of names on the April 7 ballot, where five city positions — mayor, city marshal and aldermen for ward 1 and ward 2 — are up for election, each featuring only the incumbent as a candidate. The mayor and alderman offices are for a two-year term and city marshal term is four years.

The Republican provided all candidates with the same four questions and one additional role-related question. Below are their answers.

Question 1: What motivated you to first seek this office and what has kept you committed to serving in this role?

Mayor Kevin McFadden: “I have always been interested in local government and how things happen at city level. I thought — how could I be involved and help make the city where I lived a better place? At the heart of it was my father-in-law, Manny Medeiros, who encouraged me to stop talking about it, get involved and take the step into public life. So when we moved to this beautiful city I retired and I knew I wanted to be involved in this community and started attending City Hall meetings. I approached Mayor John Kamler and asked how could I help and from there he appointed me to Planning and Zoning. Then some time later I moved into serving as an Alderman and now as the Mayor. What keeps me motivated? It really is in our city logo: Continuing to keep Owensville a great place to Live, Shop, Play and, if I may take the liberty, to Work as well. Every day presents itself with opportunities to build upon that motto and with the Great Team we have in this city, that is what we work towards. That is what continues to motivate me!”

City Marshal Scott Griffith: “I was appointed as City Marshal for a year, before being elected to office. My motivation was to further bring the Police Department into to the community to have the Police Department and the community work together to establish a safer city and transparent department. I was also motivated by the department staff so the police department was well trained, had adequate compensation, good equipment, and was a desirable place to be employed.”

Ward 1 Alderman Dr. Cathy Lahmeyer: “I was first appointed to the position of Alderman, Ward 1, by Mayor (John) Kamler to fill a vacant position, then ran for office in the subsequent years. I care deeply about my hometown and wanted to help ensure thoughtful, responsible decisions were being made for our community’s future. Like many residents, I wanted sound financial stewardship, safe streets and reliable services. What has kept me committed is seeing how local government decisions — often behind the scenes — directly affect daily life here. I value being accessible to residents and helping solve problems at the local level where it truly matters.”

Ward 2 Alderman Denise Bohl: “I was motivated when I was approached to fill a vacancy position. I wanted to give my time to help make Owensville a great place to live and work for the current citizens as well as the future generations. What keeps me motivated is seeing progress happening and working with a great team.”

Question 2: How long have you served in this position and what professional or community experience do you bring that helps inform your work?

McFadden: “This is my second two-year term for which I am running for as Mayor. There are two areas that I draw from to help me in the role as Mayor. First, in my professional life I was a Category Manager at Schnucks. As such I had key responsibilities for building and attaining budgets, promotion, product development, department design and layout, personnel hiring and development. Those are really the basic building blocks of any business or organization. Having a clear understanding of how those functions apply to any organization, city included, is the key to achieving goals.

“Second is my public life experience. The biggest thing I have learned is to build a strong team, communicate with the team leaders, and, most importantly, Stay out of their way and let them do their job.”

Griffith: “I have been the Chief of Police for three years and have been elected for two years. I have been a Police Officer for twenty-three years and with the Owensville Police Department for the past twenty-two years where I have served in different supervisory capacities. I also previously served in the United States Marine Corps. Between my law enforcement, military, and personal business experience, I feel I have the experience to lead the police department and serve the community.”

Lahmeyer: “I have served as an Alderman since March 12, 2015, completing 10 years of service. Over that time, I’ve gained institutional knowledge of city operations, budgeting and long-term planning. My professional experience (from local school administration positions, to corporate positions in the Pulp & Paper Industry nationwide and then growing my own leadership development/consulting business for the last 20-plus years) and many longstanding community involvement projects have given me a practical, common-sense approach to decision-making, with a focus on accountability, collaboration and listening to constituents before acting.”

Bohl: “I have served in this position (Ward 2 Alderman) since August 2013, when I was appointed.

“My professional experience, I feel comes from my 32 years of working at Fidelity Communications/Sparklight (1992-2024). During my employment, I was a Customer Care Manager for 23 years (2001-24)taking care of customers as well as managing employees.

“My community experience I feel comes from being involved with the Chamber of Commerce for many years. Volunteering and serving on several committees. I have also been a volunteer for the Gasconade County Fair for 30-plus years. I enjoy helping when and where I can.”

Question 3: What accomplishments from your current term are you most proud of, and why do they matter to the community?

McFadden: “First, having a strong balance sheet. Being fiscally responsible ensures the strength, growth and longevity of our community. The Teams that comprise your City Government get that and do an amazing job of being stewards of the people’s money while providing top notch goods and services. Pretty cool!

“Second, is the I&I bond issue. This is a Missouri Department of Natural Resources MANDATED program and the bond really ties into the Fiscal Responsibility above but being able to communicate to our citizens the need to go after this bond and tap into lower interest rates and the being opened up to the opportunity to go after grant money was a major win for this city.

“Third, The Trail. We saw the dedication of the first segment of our trail in town. I believe we are seeing only the tip of the iceberg as far as the impact to our city as we see the development of the second phase beginning to take shape, the County beginning their segment, which will tie directly to Owensville’s edge by the school campus, and our neighboring cities moving on developing their segments of the trail. As it grows the opportunity for our city to be impacted financially grows as well as do our citizens have a top notch trail to enjoy for years to come.”

Griffith: “I have three accomplishments that I am proud of that happened during my time as City Marshal. The first is maintaining a fully staffed and well-equipped department that allows OPD to provide exceptional service to the community. The second is reestablishing our partnership with the Gasconade County R-2 school district to provide a School Resource Officer. This ensures our children are safe and with an officer at the schools provides service for children, parents and guardians when needed. The third is the expansion of our community events such as the Shop with a Hero program, Easter Egg Hunt, and other events OPD takes part in. By having these events, they further show our partnership with the community.”

Lahmeyer: “I’m most proud of contributing to steady progress rather than flashy promises — maintaining being fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars, the infrastructure and supporting public safety. These efforts matter because they help keep Owensville a safe, stable and affordable place to live. Small, consistent improvements add up and protect the long-term health of the city.

“During my terms of office, I championed the employee wage and salary project, which included developing updated job descriptions, establishing pay grades for each position and implementing structured salary steps that are reviewed annually. This work matters because it supports fair compensation, helps retain quality employees and promotes transparency and consistency in city operations. I also led the city’s yard waste mulching project, which provides residents with a practical, environmentally responsible service while reducing long-term disposal costs.”

Bohl: “I am proud to see the Owensville Volunteer Fire Department become the Owensville Fire Protection District. Also, the Rock Island Trail State Park segment in Owensville being completed. I feel these both were good for the entire communities.”

Question 4: If reelected, what priorities or goals will guide your next term?

McFadden: “Continued focus on cleaning up our city’s neighborhoods of structures that pose a safety/ heath threat to our cities wellbeing.

“Working towards developing housing growth to address the shortfall of housing.

“Execution and oversight of the I&I program, the Sidewalk and Crossing Light project on Madison, the Streetlight project on Main Street and the Expansion of the Rock Island Trail and Trailhead project.”

Griffith: “My priorities and goals will be a continuation of what OPD has currently been doing. OPD will continue to partner with the community, provide community events, continue to have a fully staffed and well equipped department, and continue to partner with other organizations such as the Gasconade County R-2 School District.”

Lahmeyer: “If reelected, my priorities will continue to be responsible budgeting, supporting city staff and services that residents rely on every day and our supporting our collective City Goals. I also want to ensure that future decisions balance growth with preserving the small-town character that makes Owensville special. Listening to residents and making thoughtful, well-informed choices will remain central to my work.”

Bohl: “My priority is to continue to see progress happening on the abandoned housing cleanup project.”

The final question was role specific.

Q: Mayor: How do you see your role in setting the tone or direction for the city over the next term?

McFadden: “I see my role continuing as it has in the past and that is working in conjunction with the city team to identify key areas in the city that need to be addressed, prioritizing them and then go about the process of getting them resolved.

“Some projects are critical such as the DNR mandated I&I project and others, such as the new street lighting on main street, were not up high on that list, and come about by taking advantage of limited-time opportunities presented through the various grant programs that are published throughout the year.

“Other projects on the radar for the near term are addressing the need for housing in our town, attracting businesses to our town especially in the industrial parks, and pressing forward on the hazardous buildings program that was commenced last Fall.

Q: City Marshal: How do you balance enforcement with building and maintaining trust within the community?

Griffith: “I believe this is done by being transparent and willing to communicate. Enforcement has to happen to keep our citizens safe and it is part of our duties, however being a part of the community is also important. By doing both and being transparent, I believe our community is able to see that law enforcement can both enforce the laws and be part of the community. This just takes a ‘common sense’ approach to what needs to be accomplished.”

Q Aldermen: What issues do you most often hear from residents in your ward, and how do those concerns shape your decisions?

Lahmeyer: “Residents most often raise concerns about streets, utilities and quality-of-life issues. Hearing these concerns and listening to our business owners directly help guide my decisions and priorities at the Board level. I believe it’s important to be approachable, take concerns seriously and follow through to the best of my abilities. Those conversations help ensure that decisions reflect real needs, not just policies on paper.”

Bohl: “When I do receive one, I listen to the concern. I then reach out to the City Administrator to make sure he is aware of it. We discuss how the concern is being handled and timeline and then I get back in touch with the concerned citizen to let them know.”