By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorBy this time next week, the makeup of the Warrenton Board of Aldermen could be much different, or not.Two incumbents, Karen Casserly and Gary Auch, are campaigning to retain their seats in Ward 1 and Ward 2, respectively. Kyle Bradbury is challenging Casserly for the Ward 1 seat. In Ward 2, Auch is being opposed by Lloyd Wideman and Scott Schulze.Meanwhile in Ward 3, a new member will be joining the board as John Clark, the current alderman, is running for mayor. The three candidates are Don Broering, Bob Delaloye and Kellen Dreyer.The municipal race is Tuesday, April 7. All three winners will serve two-year terms.Here is a breakdown of each race:Ward 1Casserly is finishing up her first two-year term on the board and is eager to continue representing the residents in her ward.“I am running because I still believe the residents of Ward 1 deserve to have someone who fights for them and listens to them,” she said. “I am a representative for them. This is public service. That is the reason I did it in the first place and the reason I continue to do it.“There are people in the town who don’t have financial influence behind them and you have to have somebody on their side for things that are important.”Casserly said she is glad to see the city move forward with a master plan, a guide that sets goals and action plans for future years. She also feels keeping the city looking attractive is much needed for residents and visitors. Also, a proposal for a second Interstate 70 overpass that was shot down in recent years needs to be revisited, she said.“If we are going to grow, we have to focus on that,” Casserly said. “The only way we are going to attract the things that our citizens want is to grow. If the citizens don’t want additional retail or amenities of a bigger city, then we are fine, but we are not hearing that. They want the bigger stores, the rec-plex. If that is the direction our citizens want, then we have to address the overpass.”Bradbury, 32, has been in Warrenton for most of his life and is seeking public office for the first time. He is currently an adjuster for American Family Insurance. Prior to that, he spent 10 years in law enforcement, five years with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and five years with Warrenton.Priorities for Bradbury include focusing on economic growth and working with other elected officials within the county and surrounding municipalities, updating equipment in the city’s parks and exploring the possibility of forming a drug interdiction unit.“This would not only keep the citizens safer, but has potential to generate a lot of funds for the city,” Bradbury said.In addition, Bradbury would like city ordinances related to property to be reviewed and possibly revised so that some areas are cleaned up and would encourage more intersection between the board and citizens.“I don’t believe this position should be all about what the board members want, but what the citizens of Warrenton want,” Bradbury said.Ward 2Gary Auch, 63, has enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the board and hopes that continues. He is finishing up his first term in his second stint on the board. He previously was an alderman from 1986 to 2006. He said the city has made some strides in the past two years. Those include adopting a master plan, implementing electronic billing for utility customers and beginning a project to redesign the city’s website.Auch also is a big believer in soliciting feedback from the public.“When I filed two years ago, they were having all sorts of issues; the (employment) contracts, the taxing district,” he said. “People were complaining there was no input on the stuff. I think it’s really critical to get public input and direction. That is why I am excited about the long-range plans. I think that is critical in what we do.”Placing a focus on the outlet mall and economic development is a priority for Auch moving forward. Addressing the aging city pool also will be crucial in the coming years, he said.“We need to start setting a focus on replacing it and what direction we need to do with recreation,” Auch said. “Economic development is critical. We need to do more than be a member of the group. We need to be active to get businesses and jobs.”Lloyd Wideman, 42, is hoping to utilize his background as a small business owner and marketing consultant. He is the owner of Clutch Defense, a survival and tactical gear store, and Diamond III, which assists in marketing efforts for NASCAR and monster truck teams.He wants to help the city grow in a controlled way and feels opportunities are being missed.“The infrastructure here in town can support jobs and commerce,” Wideman said. “We don’t need to become Wentzville to have a thriving community. We need to look at what we have and control that. We don’t’ have a brand identity.”He also wants to make it easier for other business owners to open in the city and not encounter some of the issues he faced. Some of the that could be solved with better communication.“The biggest thing was I was blind,” Wideman said. “I knew I had good product. I didn’t know how to navigate the political landscape to get my business open. There was not a lot of lifelines or direct path. When I got people to ask questions, they were helpful. There was no clear and concise road map on how to deal with the city.”Scott Schulze, 33, is joining Wideman as a first-time candidate for an elected office. He has been employed for the past 10 years as a deputy with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department. He spent almost two years an a police officer in Wright City.“This is another way to give back,” Schulze said. “I grew up here and to raise my family here. Growth is coming out this way. I want to make sure the city is on the right track.”Schulze said he brings a different perspective as a young parent that is currently not represented on the board.“I am running to bring common sense and structure to the city for future growth,” he said.Ward 3Don Broering is no stranger to politics in Warrenton and remains committed to returning to the board. He spent one term as Ward 3 alderman from 2010 to 2012. Since then, he has run unsuccessfully for mayor and alderman.He believes he has the type of background as a retired engineer at General Motors that translates well into making decisions when it comes to infrastructure and other capital projects.“I want to improve the quality of life in the whole community,” Broering said. “That includes the business environment, parks and recreation. I think this town is not really tapping into the interstate commerce as well as we could. The city runs off primarily sales tax. The more we can draw off into our business, No. 1, it helps them. No. 2, it provides more money to provide different things that they want to see.“I always hear people say, I wish we had this, I wish we had that as far as stores and restaurants. It all comes down to having a certain number of rooftops. We are just not there.”Bob Delaloye is running for the first time and says he has the time necessary to devote, if elected.He said serving on the board is an opportunity to give back to the city. He is employed as the customer service/inside sales manager at Tengco, Inc., in Jonesburg.“I bring some commonsense to the table,” Delaloye said. “I feel like I’m a good listener. I am always interested in good jobs. We need to get housing market back up. We need to bring people here.”He said he will continue to support the efforts previously laid out by former Mayor Jerry Dyer, who passed away last year.“We have to be business friendly and look at the big picture,” Delaloye said. “Everyone has to get on the same page. We have to work together as a team.”Kellen Dreyer is looking to join the board and sit alongside his father, Jim, who also is a Ward 3 alderman. Dreyer is currently in his last semester of college and will be obtaining his teacher’s degree.While other candidates support the city’s growth, he wants Warrenton to keep its small-town feel.“I want to bring Warrenton to back to what it was and what I remember it,” Dreyer said. “I drive around Warrenton and it looks downtrodden. I remember Main Street, and now it’s a bunch of closed-down stores and bars. We need to bring businesses back.”All three aldermen seats in Warrenton are contested