New alderman appointed in Marthasville

Adam Rollins, Staff Writer
Posted 2/4/22

Marthasville’s city leaders have appointed a fourth alderman to fill a vacancy on their board caused by the resignation of former alderman and board president Dan Grafrath.

Gary Dixon, who …

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New alderman appointed in Marthasville

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Marthasville’s city leaders have appointed a fourth alderman to fill a vacancy on their board caused by the resignation of former alderman and board president Dan Grafrath.

Gary Dixon, who is currently running for election to fulfill the remaining year of Grafrath’s term in office, was granted that position early with a unanimous vote from the three remaining aldermen last Wednesday, Jan. 26. Dixon is the only candidate who registered to run for that particular seat on the city board.

Being the only candidate, Dixon was formally nominated for the early appointment last week by Mayor David Lange and granted quick approval from the aldermen.

The issue of the vacant board seat has been an unusual headache for the city government. Three of the four aldermen are required to be present to conduct any business, and the board had to reschedule its regular public meetings in both December and January because one of the other aldermen couldn’t attend.

Dixon told The Record that he was introduced to the idea of running for the board of aldermen by Mayor Lange, and that Dixon became interested in bringing his experience in trade work to the city government.

Dixon is retired from a career in general contracting, utility work and mechanics. He finished his career with more than two decades working for, and eventually leading, the maintenance department at CenterPointe Hospital in Weldon Spring.

“I really like what’s going on in this town, and there’s a lot of projects going on that I have experience in, and I wanted to get involved,” Dixon said. “The well project the city’s got going on, and a bunch of other stuff, really got my interest, and I thought I could help out.”

Dixon said he doesn’t have any other particular objectives for the city government other than to help the town be a clean and nice place to live, and to encourage positive growth. He said there’s been plenty to learn about city government so far, and that he’s open to hearing from other residents about what they’d like to see from the city government.

“I feel like I’m up to it, and since I’m retired, I’ve got time to spare for it,” Dixon commented.

He said his other community involvements have included years as a youth leader at his church and that he continues to teach at his church’s Sunday school.

Mayor Lange told The Record that he agrees that Dixon’s knowledge in construction and trades, and his availability as a retiree, will be assets for the city. He commented that he mentioned the vacant alderman position to several qualified people, and that Dixon was the first to step up and volunteer his time for the job.

“One of the major things with city council members has been ensuring maintenance of the water system, wastewater and public streets, and he understands that,” Lange said. “I think he’s well suited for the job.”

New board president

One of the other holes left by Grafrath’s departure is that he had served as president of the board for years. A board president signs ordinances on behalf of the aldermen and acts in the capacity of mayor if the mayor’s office becomes vacated.

The aldermen nominated and unanimously voted Alderman Leo Meyer to take over as president of the board on Jan. 26.

This is after an apparent disagreement over the position that occurred at the board’s Dec. 16 meeting, after members of the public had already departed. City meeting minutes indicate that Meyer had nominated Alderman Chris DeVore to take over as president of the board, but that Alderman Nick Lange then departed from the meeting, leaving the board without enough members to vote.

Marthasville Board of Aldermen, Gary Dixon

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