n Connecting Fountain Road/Anderson Drive to 17th Street to create one continuous line from Route JJ (also known as North Central City Road) to the Highway 249 interchange (also called AA/Prosperity Avenue).

Garrett said all of the proposed projects come with an estimated price tag of $15 million. Biggs said the city has identified several outside funding sources, including a Community Development block grant and a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Biggs also said the city could be eligible for other grants from Jasper County, the state of Missouri or even the federal government. The Webb City R-7 School District has also expressed interest in teaming up with the city in some of the street work, city officials said.

“Even with all that, we will still need some help,” Biggs said of raising the money for all of the projects.

City officials said the projects the bond issue would pay for would require taking part of some residents’ yards, and some people may have to move entirely. Garrett said the city is not yet setting a priority on which projects would be tackled first.

Councilman Jerry Fisher said Webb City’s schools and residential neighborhoods have grown faster than the city’s infrastructure, and too much traffic is going down Main Street and through Madison.

“People need to realize that they’re already paying the tax, it’s just a matter of how are you going to use it,” Fisher said.

City Council

In the April 8 election, Webb City’s 4th Ward incumbent Councilman Gene Mense faces challenger Randy Cahoon for a two-year term.

Mense, 53, is a certified public accountant, and co-owner of the firm Mense Churchwell & Mense. He was originally appointed to the council to fill an unexpired term eight years ago.

Mense graduated from McAuley Regional High School and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Missouri Southern State University.

He was born and raised in Joplin, but has lived in Webb City for the past 25 years. He currently lives at 1411 Carl Junction Road.

Cahoon could not be reached for comment. He lives at 714 N. Madison, according to city records.

Incumbents Edwards of the 1st Ward, Don Darby of the 2nd Ward, and Jerry Fisher of the 3rd Ward are all running unopposed.