Former council, school board members announce plans to run for Lee’s Summit mayor

A former school board member and a long-time public servant are among the first two candidates to announce plans to run for Lee’s Summit mayor in the 2018 election.

Bill Baird recently announced his candidacy. He joins Ron Williams, a former city council member who also recently announced his plan to run for mayor.

Randy Rhoads, who became mayor in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014, is termed out, per the city’s charter.

The general election is April 3, 2018. The first day candidates can officially file for the race is Dec. 12. The last day to file is Jan. 16, 2018.

Baird is a real estate broker and a former member of the Lee’s Summit Board of Education. His public squabble with then Superintendent David McGehee ended when McGehee resigned last June after nearly 10 years leading the district.

According to his bio, Baird has spent half of his life in Lee’s Summit and has volunteered for several organizations in the city.

Williams was appointed to the city council in 1994 to fill the District 3 seat vacated when Karen Messerli was elected mayor. He served as District 2 Council member from 2000-2008 and was appointed to the city’s Charter Commission in 2016.

According to his bio, Williams grew up in Lee’s Summit and is a graduate of Lee’s Summit High School. He is the owner of Integral Construction Services.

This story was originally published August 31, 2017 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Former council, school board members announce plans to run for Lee’s Summit mayor."