To the editor:

As the residents of Crestwood welcome the new year, it is time to reflect on the past and to think about who will guide our city in the future.

In April, Crestwood voters will elect Board of Aldermen members in all four wards to guide Crestwood for the coming years.

Alderman Richard Breeding of Ward 1 and Alderman Patricia Duwe of Ward 4 proudly and honorably served from April 1988 to April 2007 but are term limited.

Our City Charter requires they step down and not run for election. We shall miss their experience, hard work and intelligent comments.

Who will now step forward and take on the important job of serving on the Board of Aldermen to guide Crestwood? Please understand the eight voting members of Crestwood’s Board of Aldermen fully run our city. The mayor sits at the head of the board, yet he only votes if aldermen are tied on a vote.

The eight men and women provide leadership and control the city’s $13.5 million budget. They decide the level of services and the directions the city will take over the years to come. Tough decisions lie ahead for we are just now starting to pay back over $3.5 million in long-term debt — accumulated between 2000 and 2005 — as the city struggled with overspending and slowing tax revenues.

Our city needs your help if you have a desire to serve and are willing to take on a challenge. We especially need but are not limited to people who have business and or accounting experience with good common sense. Problem-solving and a desire to work hard in moving our city forward will take you a long way to being elected.

The process is simple. If you are a registered voter, between now and Jan. 16, call City Hall, determine the ward you live in, obtain 20 signatures from voters registered in Crestwood and fill out a request to be listed as a candidate for election as an alderman or woman in your ward.

Once your name goes on the ballot, you will soon develop a campaign crew of like-minded residents who will carry you through to a successful election.

In most cases, your home is your single largest investment, so think of it this way: Tax money wasted by the city because residents lacked interest in the affairs of our city will hurt your home value and eventually hit you in the pocketbook.

Please take an active interest in running our city and step forward to make the right decisions.

Were I a bit younger and in better health, I would.

John Foote

Crestwood