Ten apply for Zone 3 seat on City Council

Ten Zone 3 residents have applied for the Springfield City Council seat left vacant after Councilman Ralph Manley's sudden resignation last week.

Applicants must be registered voters who have lived in Springfield for at least two years and in Zone 3, which covers southwest Springfield, for at least one year.

Vying for the seat are:

• Chris Bell, a supervisor at St. John's Hospital;

• Jeremy W. Cady, Web/graphic manager at Damar Worldwide in Aurora;

• Jerome W. Compton, owner and principal architect of JWC Architecture;

• Perry J. Elkins, a self-employed mediator;

• Carl E. Herd, a retired teacher; Herd also is a member of the Police and Fire Pension Fund citizens' task force and would resign from the group if appointed to council;

• Frank E. Howey, president of Mechanical Services Inc.;

• Brian W. Johnson, a field engineer with Lockheed Martin;

• Mike Schilling, a teacher at Ozarks Technical Community College and Missouri State University, and a past representative for Missouri's 136th District;

• Daniel E. Scott, architect and owner at Design Agency and Jericho Development Co.; and

• John E. Sellars, executive director of The History Museum for Springfield & Greene County.

Mayor Jim O'Neal is responsible for selecting the council member, with consent of council. Council will hold a special meeting at noon Wednesday in council chambers to hear five-minute presentations from the applicants, according to a city news release.

The Zone 3 councilmember will serve until April 2011 and could run for a full four-year term after that.