By Adam Rollins, Record Staff Writer
The Wright City Board of Aldermen has full membership again after selecting a new alderman to fill its vacancy.Aldermen voted Thursday to install Kerry Lambright to fill the city’s empty Ward 1 seat. The seat was vacated when former-alderman Dan Rowden was elevated to mayor following the death of Mayor David Heiliger.Lambright will serve as alderman until April 2018, when an election will be held to fill the seat for the remaining one year of its term.Since last year, Lambright has been serving on the Wright City Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), a citizen board that reviews construction and site usage plans. He was appointed to the P&Z position to replace John O’Connor, who was elected to be an alderman in April 2016.Lambright moved to Wright City in December 2012. He became interested in the local government when the city was discussing raising taxes for a new city hall.The problem was, Lambright wasn’t sure who his alderman was that he could share his opinion with. He became more involved by running in the 2016 alderman election as a write-in candidate.Although O’Connor ended up winning the seat, Lambright said participating in the race allowed him the chance to get to know the other aldermen and the mayor. It was Heiliger who approached him to join the P&Z commission, Lambright said.Now that he has come to be in office, Lambright said his basic objective for the next eight months is to pursue the vision that Heiliger left behind.“I want to see us continue down the path Dave established. I would like to see more businesses, more restaurants — places you can sit down, not fast food,” Lambright said.“The city has been growing so much, and if you live in Wright City it’s because you want to live here.”Lambright works in Clayton, and said he brings his money back to Wright City because he loves the city. He is also involved in the Wright City Community Food Pantry, which his wife helps to run.Lambright encouraged all citizens to become more involved in their government and attend public meetings, rather than “just living here.”Rowden said he has seen Lambright do an excellent job as a member and as vice chairman of the planning and zoning commission.“He and his wife are very active in the community and have been a definite asset,” Rowden said in an email. “I look forward to his tenure on the board (of aldermen). I am confident he will be a hard worker and positive influence as we work to move forward with projects, and deal with issues to make Wright City an even better place to live and raise a family.”Once Lambright was sworn into the office of alderman, the board moved to elect a new president to replace Rowden, who was board president before he became mayor. They unanimously approved Ward 1 representative Tom Dixon for the position.In the last position assignment for the evening, the board named Lambright as its representative to the planning and zoning commission.Kerry Lambright, left, is sworn in as an alderman for Wright City Ward 1 at the city's board of aldermen meeting Aug. 10. Record photo/Adam Rollins.
