St. Joseph City Council candidate Russell Moore re-running for District 4 seat
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Russell Moore, a retired St. Joseph firefighter with over 50 years of service to the city, is hoping to reclaim his seat on St. Joseph's City Council for District 4 after a defeat in 2022.
Moore, who previously served on the council from 2018 to 2022, decided to run again to ensure voters had a choice on the ballot.
He defeated incumbent Barbara Labass in his first election and is now challenging Michael Grimm.
"I believe that people deserve a choice," Moore said. "That's the reason I got back in the race so there'd at least be two people on the ballot. I never did like the idea of people being elected through acclamation and no one running against them."
Moore’s platform is heavily rooted in his decades of experience in public safety.
He spent 42 years as a firefighter and five years as a dispatcher before that. He argues that his lived experience sets him apart from his opponent.
While he praised the current council for continuing to fund police and fire departments, he believes the focus now must shift to maintenance and to expanding the definition of public safety to include the health department.
"They need funding, of course, state funding, but also city support," Moore said.
A significant portion of Moore’s campaign centers on what he views as neglected infrastructure, particularly the alleyways west of 36th Street.
He described them as being in "deplorable condition," largely due to heavy trash trucks that have broken down the pavement over time.
While he said he has no desire to eliminate the "mom and pop" trash haulers that residents voted to keep, he suggested the city should consider limiting the weight of the trucks that use the alleys or set aside funding for repairs.
"These alleyways are the city's property. They need to be addressed like any streets," he said.
Moore also took issue with a city ordinance that places responsibility for curb repair on property owners, arguing that curbs exist solely for stormwater management and should be the city’s responsibility.
He further floated the idea of the city acquiring or starting its own asphalt plant to create jobs and reduce the cost of street maintenance, though he acknowledged such a proposal might not have enough support to pass.
On housing, Moore expressed concern that new housing developments are simply drawing current residents away from older neighborhoods, leaving vacancies behind.
He believes stronger enforcement of rental property inspections is necessary to address blight, claiming that enforcement has weakened since his previous term and that more inspectors may be needed.
"I just learned about a friend of mine told me about and the individual was renting it out for way too much. It had holes in walls. The doors weren't locked. The window was cracked and broken. And you know it's not reasonable to ask a person to move into those rental units and not fix them up," he said.
One of the sharpest distinctions Moore drew between himself and his opponent involved the use of ARPA funds for the InspireU Children's Discovery Center.
Moore said that during his previous term, the council spent considerable money vetting the project and was advised by multiple attorneys that the Discovery Center did not qualify for the federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The current council later voted to allocate $2.5 million to the project.
"Nobody wanted the Discovery Center to be successful more than me," Moore said. "My big issue was where they got the funding from. It shouldn't have been the taxpayers' dollars."
Moore also criticized the current council’s decision to build the new animal shelter on the South Belt Highway, a location he believes is ill-suited for a city function.
He expressed frustration that a previous agreement with the Friends of the Animal Shelter was abandoned and warned that the site, surrounded by restaurants, could face complications if a crematorium were ever added.
"That'll curb your appetite," he said.
On social issues, Moore said the city should work collaboratively with the school district, noting that the quality of schools directly impacts the city’s ability to attract residents.
He also expressed compassion for the homeless population, recalling a time when he personally paid for a hotel room for a couple he found in the cold.
He suggested the city should seek out funding sources to build and maintain shelters.
"We need to do what we can," he said. "These are people that are in a bad spot. They don't choose to be homeless."
Moore spoke fondly of St. Joseph’s riverfront, calling it one of the city’s greatest assets, though he noted that development efforts have frequently faced roadblocks.
He also emphasized the need for more activities for young people, reminiscing about the former Lake Contrary Amusement Park and expressing support for the city’s new competitive swim facility.
Moore pointed to his decades of experience working for the city and his lifelong commitment to public safety as a reason for voters to choose him again.
"I know the ins and outs," he said. "I know a lot of these people. I care about public safety. Mike probably cares about it as well, but he didn't live it not the way I did."
Moore reiterated his belief that competitive elections are essential to good governance, regardless of the outcome.
"My years of experience with the city of St. Joseph outweigh Mike's," he said. "But they have to go to the polls and make up their own mind. That's the reason I put my name on the ballot, so people would have a choice."
Elections are April 7, with more information on the rest of the candidates below.
CITY COUNCIL COVERAGE 2026
