Prior to the April elections, there was the sense of a basic disconnection between the government of the city of Branson and a lot of the people and businesses that it served. In large part this was caused by the public’s perception of the attitude of certain high level nonelected city officials and the failure of Branson’s elected mayor and aldermen to even recognize that there was a problem let alone correct it. While running for the office of mayor, prior to the April election, then candidate, now newly elected city of Branson mayor, Raeanne Presley described the situation as an “attitude at city hall that borders on arrogance” and pledged that if elected that attitude “will not stand.”
Well the April elections have come and gone and the voters overwhelmingly voted for change as they voted out long term incumbents in both the mayoral and aldermen races. The net result is that out of the seven elected governing positions, the mayor and six aldermen, there are now four new people, mayor, Raeanne Presley, and three new aldermen, Stephen Marshall, Sandra Williams, and Bob McDowell. Alderman Dick Gass, Jack Purvis, and Stan Barker, from the previous administration, did not have to stand for reelection and comprise the other three aldermen on the board.
The question that comes to mind is what has changed since the election? Perhaps a chance encounter that the Ole Seagull had recently can shed some light on the situation. As he was walking down the promenade at one of Branson newest attractions, Branson Landing, an employee standing outside the door of their establishment asked “Are you the real one?” After making sure that he liked at least some of his columns, the Ole Seagull “fessed up” and had the pleasure of chatting with him for a few minutes.
The very first thing the person said was words to the effect of, “It seems like things are changing for the better at city hall since the election.” The very next thing however, was the question, “Are things really as they seem?” The answer to that question is an overwhelming, “Yes!”
Perhaps the greatest evidence of the change is apparent in the actions and conduct of city of Branson’s administrator, Terry Dody, and its attorney Paul Link during the board’s business meetings. It is obvious to all in attendance that Mayor Presley has made good on her promise that if elected the arrogance at city hall “would not stand.”
Prior to the election, the “Branson Namegate” issue caused great public concern not only because of the pettiness of the city of Branson saying it had some legal right to control the term “Branson” but with some of the abusive intimidating tactics involved with the effort to do so. One of the first acts of the new mayor and board of aldermen, after being elected, was to reverse the actions of the previous administration in this regard.
In the short time the new administration has been in office, changes have been put into effect that make the city of Branson’s government more people friendly and open. As but a few examples, the city’s ordinances are now available on line, there are expanded written minutes, on line audio files of the board of aldermen meetings, and meeting agendas are available enough in advance so that the public and their elected officials have time to prepare for those meetings. Members of the public have been added to each of the city’s administrative/supervisory committees and there is open public discussion of topics that, in the opinion of an Ole Seagull, under the previous administration, would have been discussed primarily in closed executive session.
When he was running for office prior to the Apr. election, then candidate Bob McDowell, in speaking of the manner in which he believed the public perceived the previous administration, said, “They have lost the benefit of the doubt position.” In an Ole Seagull’s opinion, in the short time of their new administration, aldermen McDowell, Williams, Marshall and mayor Presley have made huge strides towards regaining that “benefit of the doubt position” in the hearts and minds of those they govern. Thank you!
