A look at Lee’s Summit City Council, municipal judge and board of education races

On April 2, Lee’s Summit voters will decide on City Council, municipal judge and Board of Education races, as well as Jackson County’s Question No. 1, a sales-tax renewal question impacting the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals stadiums.

City council

For the city of Lee’s Summit, only one of the four city council races — District 2 — is opposed. Two candidates are also running to fill the position of James Tobin, a longtime municipal judge who did not file for the position this year.

In District 1, incumbent City Councilwoman Hillary Shields is unopposed. Elected in 2020, Shields works as a real-estate paralegal. She has been endorsed by the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, Roofers Local 20, Teamsters Local 41, Pipefitters Local 533, Iron Workers Local 10, IBEW Local 53, CWA Local 6360 and IAM Local 778.

The city’s second district includes three candidates running to fill a position currently held by Andrew Felker, who was elected in 2020 and did not file for a second term.

Trish Carlyle, who works as a paralegal, served two terms as District 2’s city councilwoman from 2014 to 2022. Lee’s Summit City Council members are restricted to no more than two consecutive four-year terms. She served on numerous city committees during her years on the council including the Rules, Finance and Budget, and Community and Economic Development committees.

Also on the ballot for District 2 is Bob Gough, who is retired. Gough has been endorsed by the Jackson County Taxpayers Association, an organization the candidate founded. Over the last couple of decades, Gough has run for office unsuccessfully — under the names of both Bob Gough and Roberta Gough — for city of Lee’s Summit offices, Jackson County Legislature, U.S. House of Representatives and Missouri House of Representatives, according to Ballotpedia and city and school district officials. Gough also filed for Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education in 2023 but later withdrew from the ballot.

Shari Frazier, who filed for the District 2 seat, is employed as a public health program and resource manager. She is endorsed by Strengthening Education Together.

Within District 3, Cynda Rader, broker/owner of the Cynda Sells Real Estate Company, is unopposed. This position is currently held by Phyllis Edson, who could not file due to term limits. Rader is endorsed by the Lee’s Summit Police Officer’s Association. She serves on the Lee’s Summit Planning Commission, License Tax Review Board, Water Utilities Board and Cultural Commission of Lee’s Summit.

District 4 features an unopposed race with Fred DeMoro running for his second four-year term on the council. He was appointed in 2017 to fill a vacant seat and elected in 2018 to finish out the remaining two years of the four-year term. DeMoro, who is retired, is endorsed by IAFF 2195, Lee’s Summit Police Officer’s Association and FOP Lodge 50. He has served on numerous city of Lee’s Summit committees and boards including the Public Works Committee, Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Rules Committee, City Council liaison for the Water Services Advisory Board, City Council liaison for the Public Safety Advisory Board, Excise Tax Committee, Planning Commission, Charter Review Commission and Downtown Master Plan Committee.

Municipal judge

Two candidates — Venessa Maxwell-Lopez and Sam Buccero — are running for Lee’s Summit municipal judge to fill a position currently held by James Tobin. After serving on the local bench since 1989, Tobin did not file for re-election this year.

Maxwell-Lopez, an attorney, has been an appointed counsel for the city of Lee’s Summit Municipal Court since 2007. She is endorsed by the Lee’s Summit Police Officer’s Association and Strengthening Education Together. Maxwell-Lopez currently serves on the Jackson County Merit Commission and is a former commissioner of the Jackson County Combat Commission.

Buccero, an attorney, has worked as a public defender for the Raytown Municipal Court since 2000. He previously served as an assistant city prosecutor for the Kansas City Municipal Court and as domestic violence prosecutor for the Blue Springs Municipal Court.

School Board race

In the Lee’s Summit R-7 School Board race, five people have filed for two seats on the board: Stacie Myers, Reuben Mitchell, Juanice Williams, Rodrick King Sparks, Bill Haley and Dan Blake. Sparks is making a bid for a second three-year term on the Board of Education. Ryan Murdock, who has served two three-year terms on board, did not file for re-election.

Myers retired in 2023 after teaching for 21 years in Lee’s Summit R-7 schools. During her tenure, she served on the district’s Social Studies Curriculum Committee. Myers has been endorsed by the Lee’s Summit National Education Association.

Mitchell works as a data analyst for the federal government. He has three young children. Mitchell is a member of the Cedar Creek Elementary PTA. This is the second time Mitchell has filed for a seat on the Board of Education. He completed candidate paperwork last year for the April 2023 election but later withdrew. After filing for the 2024 election, he requested on Jan. 12 that his name be withdrawn from the ballot, according to district officials. He then contacted the district on Jan. 13 with a request to remain on the ballot.

Williams works as the coordinator of field education/associate instructor at the University of Central Missouri. Her four children graduated from Lee’s Summit West High School and she was involved in PTA at her children’s elementary and secondary schools. Williams previously served as PTA president at Woodland Elementary, as a member of the Lee’s Summit West High School Booster Club and as a member of the school district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Process Team. She is endorsed by the National Association of Social Workers-Missouri PAC and Strengthening Education Together.

Sparks, who is employed as an escrow assistant, currently serves as the Board of Education president. He has two children attending Lee’s Summit R-7 schools. Sparks is a member of the district’s Citizens Advisory Committee, Policy Committee, Business Roundtable, Team Lee’s Summit, the Health and Insurance Committee, PTA and R-7 Father’s Club. He has been endorsed by Strengthening Education Together and the Lee’s Summit National Education Association.

Haley, who owns his own business, has two children who recently graduated from the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District. He is a member of the PTA.

Blake, a mechanical engineer, is employed as a project manager, account manager and business lead. He was elected to serve on the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. He has a daughter in Mason Elementary, where he is a member of the PTA.

Sales tax questions

Also on the local ballot is Jackson County Question No. 1, which asks voters county-wide to approve a 40-year 3/8th-cent sales tax to fund a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals Stadium and major renovations for the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. According to the county proposal, the new Royals stadium would be located in Kansas City’s Crossroads area. If approved, the sales tax would apply to all purchases in Jackson County.

The county ballot issue includes repeal of an existing sales tax, set to expire in 2031, with a new sales tax scheduled to end in 2064.