City and municipal elections are nearly here, as Missouri residents across the state will cast their votes on essential bond measures, elect school board and city council members.

Tuesday night will mark the end of eight years on the Joplin city council for Ryan Stanley, who served a pandemic shortened 19-month term as Mayor. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro spoke with Stanley last week, reflecting on his office time. “I’ll mention the things that I mention to every council person I ever worked with. And that is, you know, show up, do your homework beforehand, ask good questions and speak your mind.”

As we learned more about the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2020, Stanley became the public face of sometimes twice weekly updates. He said that he’s most proud of the city council’s transparency during the early months of the pandemic and the passage of the city’s Use Tax and Proposition B.