Businesspeople to run for City Council

Springfield City Clerk Brenda Cirtin has certified 14 candidates for the 2009 City Council elections.

The candidates are:

• For mayor: Jim O'Neal, president of O&S Trucking; Sandra Queen Noble; Christopher Donegan, finance manager at Zerr Auto Sales; and Tamara Finocchiaro, owner of Pythian Castle.

• For the Zone 1 seat: incumbent Denny Whayne; Nick Ibarra, a salesmen of industrial products; and Cameron Eaton;

• For the Zone 4 seat: Scott Bailes, Springfield Cardinals broadcast announcer and former Major League Baseball player;

• For the General A seat: Robert Stephens, administrator of RGG Law; Lyle Foster, owner of Big Momma's Coffee and Espresso Bar; and Tom Martz, a representative of the Missouri Liberty Coalition and the chief petitioner for the state's audit of Springfield; and

• For the General B seat: John Rush, former United Way of the Ozarks President and CEO; Jason Lillard, director of program services at Disabilities Advocacy and Support Network; and Fred Ellison, a representative of the Missouri Liberty Coalition.

Primaries will be held Feb. 3 for mayor, Zone 1, General A and General B seats. For each seat, the two candidates with the most votes will be on the April 7 ballot.