Randy Kleindienst is running for re-election on the Nov. 8 ballot for Callaway County Eastern District commissioner. His challenger is Larry Doyle Jr.
LARRY DOYLE JR.
Larry Doyle Jr. is the Democrat candidate for Callaway County Eastern District commissioner.
Doyle's father, a U.S. Marine, was a Fultonian. While posted at a Marine Base at Twentynine Palms, California, Doyle was born. Several years later, his father was reposted to Michigan, and his family resettled in Fulton. "I've been here ever since," Doyle said.
Doyle, 41, attended Fulton Public Schools until the ninth grade. He moved to the county and graduated in 1993 from South Callaway High School. He then attended William Woods University and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in management in 2005.
Doyle worked for the Fulton City Water Department, starting as a meter reader, then a pipefitter. He was recruited by WWU and has worked there for 15 years.
Doyle has a son, 20, and two daughters, ages 15 and 13. He is engaged to Fulton City Clerk Courtney Crowson, he said.
He has never held public office, he added.
Q. How does your experience prepare you for being an effective Callaway County commissioner?
A. "What makes me unique is I am a people person. I am a person who can relate to most people in a non-judgmental way. I want to be a voice for the people. When you ask people who their commissioner is, they don't know. People are able to call me. I don't sugarcoat things; I just say what it is. If I don't know an answer, I will find someone who knows the answer. We need people who can step up and do things and be a problem solver."
Q. What is the biggest problem facing Callaway County, and how would you resolve it?
A. "When I started running (for office), I started driving gravel roads. I wanted to familiarize myself. So, I would say roads. I want to be a buffer between the citizens and the county. I'm a good middleman. I can stress (citizens') concerns to the county while understanding the county's perspective.
"When I first started (running) I went out and got copies of the budgets for the last 14 years and studied them. I really want to bring unity to the county. I like to be the common-sense guy."
Q. How do you intend to keep an open line of communication with your constituents?
A. "The one thing people will know about me is you can always get me. I have my cellphone all the time. I am knowledgeable and available.
"I've been going to City Council meetings for two years now, also in Kingdom City. I want to improve communication between Fulton and Kingdom City and Holts Summit, and I want to be a commissioner who gets things done."
Q. Callaway County has obvious defects in its infrastructure - case in point, this summer's flooding. How can the county better prepare for disasters?
A. "You can prepare for anything and hope it goes the right way. But if you get 6-8 inches of rain in an hour, how do you prepare? What's important is how you react to something.
"In the last 22 years, I've worked in the evenings and weekends with disabled people. I'm CPR certified, first aid certified and Med certified (able to give prescriptions to those who need help). I've been to training for all those things. If someone cuts an arm, I fix it. If you want to go home later and cry about it, OK - but fix it first."
Q. What makes Callaway County great?
A. "People. The one thing I absolutely love about living here is when we pass each other, we wave. We're unique people. We can literally look each other in the eye. We're honest people.
"I've had to take the high road. I try to honestly be a good guy. We care about each other, and I know a lot of people in a lot of places here."
RANDY KLEINDIENST
Randy Kleindienst is the Republican candidate for Callaway County Eastern District commissioner. He is running for re-election, having held the seat for a four-year term.
Kleindienst, 54, was born in Callaway County and grew up on a farm.
"I grew up on a farm with cows and horses and chickens and ducks - everything," he said. "I've bailed tens of thousands of bales of hay."
He's the middle son of three sons born to David and Dorothy Kleindienst, a musical family.
"I grew up playing music," he said. "For years, we had our own radio show in Fulton. I play guitar and am a lead singer. I play every Saturday night at 54 Country."
Kleindienst graduated from South Callaway High School in 1980. He met his wife, Christine, that year, and they married in 1983.
"We're still in love," he said, adding they have two sons, ages 32 and 28, and a 30-year-old daughter.
Kleindienst worked for 20 years as a real estate agent, and he also has been involved with 54 Country, owned by one of his sons.
"In my early years, I worked in mining, in rock quarries," he said. "My understanding of that has been very helpful with roads."
About 28 years ago, Kleindienst began working at Callaway County's road and bridge department.
"I started out as a brush cutter, the lowest on the pole," he said. "I've done every job there - I've poured concrete for bridges, ran a backhoe, graded 80 miles of road."
He worked in that department for 24 years before being elected commissioner, a full-time job.
"It's not an 8-hour-a-day job - it's normally a 10- to 14-hour day," he said. "Your time is not just at the office. Rarely a day goes by where I don't go out and look at a project."
Kleindienst said there are three things most important to him.
"I'm committed to three things in this world. I try to put God first in my life, and family and country," he said. "You should treat each other the way you like to be treated. At no time will you hear me say I do that perfectly."
Q. How does your experience prepare you for being an effective Callaway County Commissioner?
A. "I'm running on my qualifications. The experiences that I've had, the work I did at the quarries, my knowledge of types of materials available for roads, and intricate knowledge of roads and bridges in this county, and the fact that I've run my own businesses over the years. I enjoy serving the residents of this county, plus I have four years of proven experience as a county commissioner."
Q. What's the biggest problem facing Callaway County, and how would you resolve it?
A. "Would you like to discuss the fact that the jail is nearly 30 years old, and that building was built for 105 people? And the women's area for 10. Where the jail was built, the structure is settling. The court system is overloaded. These are all major challenges. Another concern is sales tax revenue is flat, and everything we buy is going up. Gravel costs more. Asphalt costs more. Everything's increasing."
Q. How do you intend to keep an open line of communication with your constituents?
A. "I've been (with the county) for 28 years. I go to meetings, too, but my specialty is the road and bridge department. I take most every phone call; I go out to the Calwood store and drink coffee with the guys. I also participate in every street fair and every parade. I go every Wednesday night to the VFW hall and donate my sound system to help the veterans. I answer my phone 24/7."
Q. Callaway County has obvious defects in its infrastructure. How can the county better prepare for disasters?
A. "We do have the sirens, which we test the first Tuesday of the month. We have (telephone) notification everywhere in the county where you will be notified if there is a tornado (etc.). We've implemented that since I've been here. We have a dedicated group at the sheriff's office."
Q. What makes Callaway County great?
A. "We do have a lot of good people. Assets: We have trails and national forest land, and wildlife abounds. We have the Katy Trail and river access and such diverse geographic (elements) from prairie to rolling hills. And two colleges. We also have one of the greatest intersections (U.S. 54 and Interstate 70), the Missouri River, and commerce is available here.