OSAGE COUNTY  — Three candidates are running for the position opening due to Western District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes retiring, and all are involved in their communities. Here’s a look at each candidate in the order they appear on the ballot.

Dale Logan of Westphalia has gained extensive experience over the last 23 years as an insurance agent with the Knights of Columbus, which he believes would benefit the county if he’s elected as the Western District Commissioner.

“I have a good reputation for doing good practical business and ethical work practices,” said Logan, whose grandfather and mother served for 52 and 32 years, respectively, as elected officials in Maries County. “It’s in my blood, and I want to give back and hope to make a positive difference in our communities.”

Logan said he has no significant concerns with how the county is being governed. “I think our current county commissioners have done a pretty dang good job,” he noted. “I think there’s always ways to improve, and sometimes I think we can be a little too conservative. What I mean by that is sometimes I think you’ve got to figure out ways to spend your money better. Those are things that I hope to do, and I don’t mean to suggest that I think that they’re spending money in an unwise way. However, I do think there are ways that we can improve. We’ve got to figure out how to get more money into our county so we can better maintain our roads because so many of them are just falling apart. And you know, I’ve heard a lot of complaints about that. That’s something that I want to focus on. That seems to be the biggest concern I hear when I’m talking to Osage County residents.”

Part of the concern is how revenues are being spent. “We need to make sure the taxpayers’ money is being appropriated correctly and wisely,” said Logan, noting that if elected, he wants to look into some of the equipment the county is leasing and the equipment that the county owns to see if there are different alternatives to the way the commission is operating. “I mean, we have an enormous amount of money in road graders and those kinds of things, but we’re lacking in properly trained people to operate some of that equipment. So, why do we need the big fancy equipment if we can’t afford to hire people who are better trained and know how to run them properly? I think there are ways that we can improve on how we’re doing things. I hope to be a fresh face in there with some fresh ideas. That’s my hope.”

The other side of the coin is generating additional revenues to improve the county further. “We want to entice people to move here and to build businesses, especially with State Tech continuing to grow,” said Logan. “That place is bursting at the seams, so that means there ought to be some more opportunities for other businesses to come in piggyback off of that growth. We’ve got more housing being built, so this will bring in more money, and we better spend that money wisely once we get it here. The more businesses we build, the more people are going to be moving here, and the more houses are being built. That’s good all the way around for construction and concrete and all the way through electrical and plumbing. It’s creating jobs, which is adding a tax base and increasing tax revenue in our county.”

Logan has lived in Westphalia for 15 years. “I love Osage County,” he said. “Westphalia is the best place I’ve ever lived. It’s an incredibly tight-knit community that I absolutely love. I see people in towns all over Osage County, and I’m always happy to be involved in those communities as well. I’m never leaving Osage County. I’m going to live here until I die. I hope it’s a long time off, but this is it for me; I love it.”

Logan added that his experience as a US Army veteran, insurance agent, farmer, and small business owner makes him an excellent candidate. “I’m pro-life; I’m pro-Second Amendment,” he said. “I have a proven track record of honesty and integrity. I think I’m brighter than the average bear, and I think I can make a positive difference in Osage County.”

Logan earned an Associate’s Degree from Metro Business College and raised Angus beef on his family farm. He has one son, Jackson.

Joe Schmidt, a 32-year resident of Argyle, is seeking the position after retiring with 25 years of experience with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and 14 years as the Argyle mayor.

“When I heard Larry was going to retire, I decided to run for his seat because I have knowledge of the highway department and working with the federal and state government,” said Schmidt, praising Kliethermes for his work as a commissioner. “I thought I could help our great county. With the city, I worked with the government on our multi-million dollar sewer project and with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) to get grants and loans. I thought this would be a good year to try it.”

Schmidt’s biggest concern is road maintenance. “We have to do our best to keep and maintain the county roads,” he said. “Road and Bridge is down a motor grader operator, and they’re just running ragged trying to keep up with the roads.”

Proposition R is on the ballot, which would provide tax revenues for the Road and Bridge Department if approved. “That’s a good thing because creek rock is getting hard to get, and permits from DNR take a lot of time. If you go to quarries, that rock isn’t cheap. Inflation, fuel, and maintenance costs keep going up. If I’m elected, I will see what works best for them and work to make Osage County respectable. I will go out and drive roads and make sure they’re in good shape. It’s hard during the summertime when it’s dry because you can’t really grade roads very well. Spring and fall are your best times, but you do the best you can with what you have.”

Schmidt also wants to ensure the budget is consistent and that funds are spent appropriately. “We need complete transparency, from budget preparations to how the money is spent during the year,” he added. “If you don’t get the trust of the public and try to ask for more taxes, they’re going to keep shooting you down. They’re going to say, ‘You’re not spending the money from the last time you passed a tax increase the right way, so why should we vote for another one?”

Schmidt’s mother is originally from Westphalia, and his dad is from Jefferson City, with most of his relatives hailing from Osage County. “They ranged from farmers to home builders to business owners,” he said, adding that some of his family served in the Civil War to defend the great state and country. “I have always been a part of the county, and I worked for a company in Westphalia for 15 years before going to work for MoDOT.”

He has three daughters, Nicole and her husband Kody, and their son, Jack, and Sara and Erica. Schmidt earned a drafting degree at State Tech in the late 80s.

Lifelong Osage County resident George Luebbering believes the county’s infrastructure needs to be improved. “I’m the only candidate who lives down a gravel road and the only one who owns a business or farms,” said Luebbering, who lives near Westphalia. “People are tired of the condition of our roads.”

He spoke of a therapist getting stuck while driving down his gravel road to help his father. “We pulled her car out of the ditch,” said Luebbering. “What if that been an ambulance trying to get down our road? I spend thousands of dollars every year on equipment repairs because our roads are too narrow and they’re getting narrower. I understand the needs of county citizens who travel these roads daily. I realize that not everyone lives on a gravel road, but because a large majority of our road budget is spent on these roads, it should be a concern to everyone.”

Luebbering noted that Osage County’s largest industry is agriculture, and if elected commissioner, he will keep that an important focus. “There are other large industries, and State Tech is starting to challenge that. But our commissioners go to MRPC and other meetings to try to get funding for us. We need to provide an infrastructure to support the industry we already have before we try and start bringing in other industries.”

Luebbering said he’s capable of dealing with the many agencies involved at the state level. “MoDOT created several situations that haven’t been good financially for the county,” he said. “I also feel that the commissioners needed to stand up to the pressures put on them by MoDot. We have taken on maintenance of roads (Old Loose Creek Highway) they wanted to abandon and other projects. Now, the county can’t afford and isn’t able to properly maintain them. The Corps of Engineers, DNR, SEMA, and other agencies have been heavy-handed with the commissioners in the past. They haven’t had the ‘will’ to stand up and or negotiate fairly for the rights of Osage County citizens. Unfortunately, I have had to stand up to these agencies for my property rights. I will do this for the rights of our citizens also.”

New businesses would generate additional tax revenue, and Luebbering acknowledges that extra money to fix the road issues would help. However, he said it won’t fix a lack of planning or knowledge. “I believe we need to manage the money we have better first,” he said. “The county needs to be proactive instead of reactive. We need to ask why we need so much gravel on the roads. The roads aren’t graded on a consistent basis. They come out there whenever we get a major rain, and the gravel gets washed out.”

Much of his concern goes back to salaries and how best to retain quality employees. “The Road and Bridge Department’s salaries need to be competitive with those in the private sector to get good operators,” said Luebbering. “Not everyone is qualified or capable of effectively using a road grader or heavy equipment. With that being said, the job expectation for those employees needs to match that of the private sector.” Luebbering added he’s concerned about safety on Hwy. 50 and 63. “Why aren’t these two major U.S.  highways through Osage County a priority? We’ve waited decades,” he said. “The high fatality rates and accidents on these roads are inexcusable. Why don’t we have, at the very least, turn lanes? It seems like more value is placed on the Lake of the Ozarks and tourist areas. What about the students and teachers traveling to State Tech? Are their lives as valuable as tourists? MoDOT needs to hear this from our commissioners and a louder voice to our representatives. Count the crosses on Hwy. 63! This needs to stop.”

Luebbering graduated from Fatima in 1985 and earned a certificate in Diesel Technologies from Casper College in Casper, Wyo., going on to work for several companies as a diesel mechanic. He also worked on and operated large equipment for Capital Sand in Jefferson City while also farming.

George and his wife, Shirley, have four grown children and four granddaughters.