Azotea, Hughes, Riley in running to replace 15-year councilman in Hannibal’s second ward

HANNIBAL — Two business owners and a General Mills employee will be on the April 8 municipal election ballot in the race to represent the 2nd Ward on Hannibal’s City Council.

The winner will replace longtime councilman Mike Dobson, who served as Mayor Pro Tem after former Mayor James Hark resigned in June 2023 until April 2024 when Mayor Barry Louderman was elected. Louderman also has opted not to run for re-election.

Dobson and his wife recently bought a lot intending to build a house outside of the 2nd Ward. Replacing the sidewalks on Main Street and the riverfront project are among Dobson’s proudest accomplishments from his time on the council, which dates back to April 2010.

“I’ve been on the council for 15 years, so I figured it was time to let somebody younger and with, you know, maybe more enthusiasm take over,” Dobson said in January.

Questionnaires were submitted to candidates before City Manager Lisa Peck announced that HB866 had failed in committee at the council’s March 18 meeting.

Earl Hughes

Age: 46
Occupation: I currently work at General Mills in a lead role.
Political experience: I have always followed but this is my first attempt at getting involved to fix problems that have been created in the past.
Education: Associate’s degree in business from John Wood Community College; attended Culver Stockton College for a bachelor’s degree in finance but have not finished.
Family: I grew up in Payson and still have family in the area. Raised one daughter as a single parent.

Why are you running for council member?  I moved from Quincy to Hannibal in 2019 because the cost of living in Quincy was getting too high due to increases in taxes and utilities and city overspending. I regretted not trying to help fix the problems Quincy had, but I felt Quincy government was too big for me to help much. Once I moved to Hannibal, I fell in love with living in downtown Hannibal, but it is on a troubled path that is causing it to decline. The cost of living is getting too high due to 1) housing is getting unaffordable and unavailable, 2) city government is spending taxpayers’ money loosely on pet projects and not being frugal enough in these hard times, 3) the city council is too quick to try to raise taxes. If the City Council wants to raise taxes, that means they have failed to grow our town faster than their spending has grown.

If the city received a $5 million grant to be used any way it wanted, what would you like to see it spent on? I would put some in reserve for unforeseen problems in the future. The bulk of it I would use for affordable housing such as tax incentives for new construction and renovations of unused properties. This would bring more people into our community and would make Hannibal better and more affordable to live in.

What do you think is the biggest issue currently facing Hannibal?  Affordable housing and available housing is at the foundation of Hannibal’s biggest issues. Many people live in Quincy and work in Hannibal. If we had more affordable housing, the tax base would grow and raising taxes would not be needed.

If elected, how would you address funding concerns for the fire and police departments in the event that the public safety sales tax (HB 866) doesn’t pass in the Missouri General Assembly? We need to grow our tax base and incentivize shopping in Hannibal instead of going elsewhere. Worst case scenario, there are taxes that can be increased that citizens of Hannibal would only be paying a small amount of, such as hotel and Airbnb taxes. A temporary tax increase on fuel might be an option, too.

What do you believe should be the city’s plan to fix long-term budgetary issues? Tax revenue will have to be increased by growing the town, both population and businesses.

April Azotea

Age: 37
Occupation: Business owner
Political experience: None. To be effective in office and hold a political position takes someone special. While that is probably the last word I would think of when describing myself — on top of the fact that you will literally never hear me brag about myself or boast — (these answers) will probably be the one and only time and exception. Experience in most fields is important. Would you want to hire someone to build a house, and their only experience was building houses out of Lincoln Logs when they were younger, or someone that had years and years of experience and a list a mile long of houses they’ve built? When I hear people say, “She’s just a bartender,” as if my only experience is making drinks, I find that comical at best. For the last 22 years, I have worked in and with the public. To serve the public takes dignity and intelligence. I’ve not only managed multiple bars and restaurants but opened some from the ground up. Before opening the (La Azotea) Lounge, I’ve had to deal with unhappy customers, de-escalate situations, irate customers or employees, etc. From all those experiences I’ve not only learned but become very good at reading people from their body language and what they are verbally saying to becoming very good at negotiating to keep the peace. Formally speaking, I took social psychology courses in college but intuitively have years of experience which are essential and important in a public position.
Education: Associate’s degree in applied science and graphic design. I’ve always had an outgoing personality and always been a people person no matter the situation. I excelled in certain classes in school: business, speech, debate and all my psychology classes. (My classes taught me) communication is key and to always have an open mind and willing to listen. Fun fact: I can count the number of times I’ve watched TV in the last 10 years on my hands, and just like my Nana, I am a huge bookworm. While most people spend their nights watching TV, most nights I spend hours reading or researching. Knowledge is power and an addiction I hope I never shake. During the last several years, I’ve really educated myself on the law. That experience alone is a great advantage because making and enforcing laws is what government is all about. To be in a political position, you either need to be a good leader or willing to lead and not a follower. I’ve spent the last eight years going before City Council, as well as educating myself on numerous things like city ordinances, needs in the community, etc. This is another notch on my experience belt. It shows and should speak volumes on my character and who I am. I have and always will stand up for what I believe in and what I feel is right, even if that means doing it alone. I’m not easily intimidated or the type to “go along with the crowd” or a follower. I know that statement might not sit well with others and ultimately hurt me on certain votes, I was raised to always be honest and follow my heart.
Family: This is not only an experience worth boasting about on my grandparents’ part but something I could never be more thankful to them for instilling in me 1) to always give back or help whenever you can and that 2) kindness is free. My grandparents on my mom’s side lived on a farm in Camp Point, Ill., and my Nana lived in Quincy, Ill., where I grew up. My Nana would take my siblings and I to so many park clean ups, planting new flowers or gardens in parks or certain roads. At Christmastime, we would go to a nursing home and beat on pots and pans, playing harmonicas or banjos or whatever was her instrument of choice for us all, and parade up and down the halls singing and dancing to put a smile on the residents’ faces. My grandma on the farm would take us to the nursing home in Camp Point multiple times a year. She would play the piano and we would sing to the residents. I’ve spent many Christmases at different nursing homes in Hannibal, and while I don’t have a crew with me to parade up and down the halls, I let the guys take turns picking a song to dance to with them. The ladies wait in line for me to paint their nails and curl their hair. The smile it puts on their face is something that money could never buy and will forever make my heart happy. My heart will always lie with the people and helping others and will always give back to the community. It’s been instilled in me from a young age, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Why are you running for council member? Because I truly believe I can make a difference in the community and bring not only fresh new ideas to the table/council but a different perspective, and not just only as a concerned citizen but business owner as well. I read something awhile back that said, “Think globally, act locally.” Local governments have been incubators for new ways of doing things for decades. While state and federal offices hold a lot of power and influence, local governments have the ability to try new ideas and easily see the impact of those policies and make a difference in their community.

If the city received a $5 million grant to be used any way it wanted, what would you like to see it spent on? Wowza. I don’t even know where to begin. They say, “Work smarter, not harder.” (I) was literally dumbfounded and honestly shocked that city employees still use a paper time card for employees to personally write down when they “supposedly” come to work as well as leave. With technology today, this is a no-brainer for obvious reasons in regards to employee work hours, but to find out the city clerk and her staff have to spend more than a full day (not sure if it’s weekly or biweekly) just adding up paper time cards of all the city employees is a waste of taxpayer dollars. If I had to take a wild guess, the city could get a payroll system for less than $10,000.  (I would spend it on) a PA system and high definition microphones for City Council meetings to be clipped to the top of their shirts during the entire meeting as well as any other video audio equipment needed.  Also, surveillance at city hall, like the city manager was instructed by the council to look into and get quotes to bring back to council to move forward with but didn’t. Honestly, other than that, nothing is pertinent we spend money on right now. I would like to see that money go back into and replenish the reserve that (the city) unnecessarily pulled money from.

What do you think is the biggest issue currently facing Hannibal? 1) The budget is broken and has been for a long time. Things either need changed or to start being not ignored and blatantly neglected, henceforth why we were in the predicament with the fire department recently. 2) Communication and the city blatantly refusing to be transparent on a lot. 

If elected, how would you address funding concerns for the fire and police departments in the event that the public safety sales tax (HB 866) doesn’t pass in the Missouri General Assembly? While the other bills didn’t make it, Hannibal has been added to an existing bill therefore will still have the opportunity if it passes to place a one-cent sales tax in front of the voters in Hannibal to address the police and fire budgets. However, this tax would not help the overall condition of the city due to the fact that it would only add additional revenue to the police and fire budgets. With all of the excitement around the fire department coming to so many council meetings, citizens have had a misunderstanding and been confused about wages and benefits being given specifically to the Hannibal Fire Department. I’ll say first hand I certainly did, and took the time to educate myself over the last couple of weeks researching, making phone calls, etc. to know and understand exactly what is going on, how we fix or adjust things and what things will directly impact things in a negative or positive way. The city  — (which) is currently in a major deficit — will continue to be in a deficit until revenue is increased in the city as a whole, not just police and fire. The tax would be a positive influx for only their budget, allowing them to increase wages or spend on any operating expenses they see fit. This tax would be added on top of their current budget. The city still needs to work diligently and make finding additional revenue a top priority regardless if this new bill passes to provide police and fire with additional funding. The men and women with emergency services are greatly appreciated as well as needed, but at the end of the day, the entire city as a whole is grossly underfunded.

What do you believe should be the city’s plan to fix long-term budgetary issues? Listen, it’s not rocket science. I started looking at and through our city budget less than six months ago. Then I went back and compared the budget to the last seven years. If you go back and individually look at and thoroughly examine the revenues and expenditures and what’s reoccurring and what’s not, you can pinpoint a lot. Like I said a couple meetings ago, “The math ain’t mathin’” on so much. We need to increase revenue and reduce expenses, especially unnecessary expenses. We really need to prioritize our spending and explore more cost saving measures, like eliminating positions we no longer need and monitoring city employee debit/credit cards, as well as city vehicles not being used other than during working hours and not used personally at the taxpayers’ expense.

Tammy Riley

Riley did not provide Muddy River News with her answers to the questionnaire in time for publication and has not responded to multiple attempts to reach her. According to her campaign page on social media, Riley is a business owner who moved to the area at age 2 and was “raised that a handshake and your word mean something and should be held in high regard.” 

Other races

Euhlan Leeders is the only name on the ballot in the race for 4th Ward councilman to replace Charlie Phillips, who is running for mayor against former 1st Ward Council Member Darrell McCoy. Amy Powell and Ryan Adcock are campaigning on social media as write-in candidates for the 4th Ward seat.