Current City Council At-Large member Marty Novak seeking re-election after 8 years on council
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- After nearly a decade on the dais, incumbent At-Large City Council member Marty Novak is asking voters for a third term, hoping to build on what he describes as significant progress made during his tenure.
Novak, a lifelong St. Joseph resident and Benton High School alumni, first ran for council in 2018.
He served a single term as a district representative before successfully running for an at-large seat in 2022.
Now, eight years after first entering public office, he says his motivation remains unchanged: keeping St. Joseph moving forward.
“This council has made a lot of impact on some of those things, and I want to keep the momentum going,” Novak said. “I think we're doing a good job, and I want to see that continue.”
Central to Novak’s platform is a continued focus on core infrastructure.
He emphasizes the need to implement technology and establish a regimented program to better manage and maintain the city’s streets.
Additionally, he points to the challenges of St. Joseph being an older city, specifically aging properties that can pose safety risks.
To address this, he advocates for “stepping up” code enforcement.
“I think that that's really important, to try and bring these buildings up to code, where they're safe, where they're not a threat,” Novak said.
On the topic of unhoused individuals, Novak describes the situation as a “very complex issue” that requires both compassion and accountability.
He stresses the importance of the city working alongside nonprofit groups to help those in need, while acknowledging the limitations of municipal intervention.
“There's some folks that they don't want help, and so you can't force it upon people, but you want to try and help them as best you can,” he said. “It's a pretty broad, complex issue.”
He added that there is no “magic bullet” to solve the problem, but ongoing work within the police department and city structures continues.
Novak points to a record of tangible capital improvements during his time in office, crediting the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and voter-approved dedicated taxes for funding projects across the city.
He notes that while nobody wants to see their taxes increase, targeted investments have yielded significant results.
“We've invested over $90 million over the course of the 35 years that have made improvements,” Novak said. “A lot of things. We've seen new fire stations that have opened. We had two new fire stations that open. We're going to be opening a new fire station in the south end.”
The investments have also touched the parks system, bridges, and first responder equipment, areas Novak highlights as evidence of the council's effectiveness.
When it comes to the relationship between the city and the school district, Novak holds a firm stance on separation of responsibilities.
He believes the city council and school board are distinct entities elected for different purposes, and each should remain in its own “wheelhouse.”
While he supports collaboration on shared interests like infrastructure, he maintains that decisions regarding school administration, such as the recent transition to a two-high school model, are solely the province of the elected school board.
Looking ahead, Novak hopes to continue that work, bringing diverse perspectives to the council table as the city works to prosper.
He is asking voters for the chance to continue the progress already set in motion.
“I’m on city council, and served on city council trying to make St. Joseph a better place,” he said. “I'd like to continue to do so, and I'd like to earn your vote in order to continue the progress that we've made so far.”
Novak faces seven other at-large candidates in the municipal election, which takes place on April 7th.
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CITY COUNCIL COVERAGE 2026
