SEMO students share perspectives on Cape Girardeau mayoral race

The April 2022 Cape Girardeau mayoral election is approaching as students and community members decide which candidate to vote for.

The primary election on Feb. 8 had three candidates for mayor, including current Mayor Bob Fox, Ward 6 representative Stacy Kinder and businesswoman Ramona Bailey on the ballot for mayor.

According to unofficial results, Fox and Kinder will be on the General Municipal Election Day ballot on Tuesday, April 5.

Junior entrepreneurship major Cassidy Klein said the Cape Girardeau community needs to better the economy and work to make the city a safer place.

“I want to see the newly-elected mayor more active in the Cape Girardeau community,” Klein said.

Junior social work major and mother Kirsten Carr said she wants the mayor to address the lack of representation and accessibility on campus.

“Nontraditional students, like parents, need to know they have the same access to things,” Carr said.

Freshman guitar performance major Riley Brooks said he’d like to see the new mayor take interest in making Cape and SEMO’s campus a safer place.

“Attention should be brought to the fact that women are being raped on campus,” Brooks said. “I think precautionary measures and things should be taken into account for being more on the woman’s side and hearing all sides of the story.”

When talking about the concern for public safety, Fox said if [Cape Girardeau] can get a public safety grant, they can create a Real Time Crime Center, which is a room full of TV monitors linked to live cameras and video from different areas around the city.

Fox emphasized the need to provide more housing to college students, as well as building other attractions for people of all ages.

Kinder’s website highlights three main issues in Cape Girardeau: strengthening the economy, supporting public safety and addressing the unique needs of downtown and south Cape residents and communities.

“I don't want to say I have a new vision for Cape Girardeau, because quite frankly, there’s a lot of things that have been happening for a long time that really work,” Kinder said. “I do think there is a lot of room for some new ways of thinking in order to see progress in different areas.”

One idea Kinder would like to bring to Cape is competitive wages and salary structure for city employees.

“As the workforce has dwindled, we’ve seen that be the case [in Cape Girardeau], as well,” Kinder said.

Fox said he is striving to develop programs and support jobs that will keep SEMO students in Cape Girardeau.

“We're hoping to be able to use what used to be the casino buffet to help stimulate a culinary program at SEMO,” Fox said.

Community members can vote for mayor during the General Municipal Election Day on April 5, 2022.