Council incumbents file for re-election

All three Ralston City Councilmembers up for re-election in 2012 intend to run for new terms.

Maureen Konwinski, representing Ralston's Ward 1, Mike Gillespie of Ward 2 and Ben Preis of Ward 6, all said they had or would soon be filing the necessary paperwork with the Douglas County Election Commission to run as incumbents in the coming elections.

Each citing their desire to see the city's sports and events center project at 72nd and Q streets to completion, the three said they are encouraged by the potential for the facility to be both a lucrative enterprise for the city and a community-oriented space.

"That is the main thing," Konwinski said. "The arena is such an important part of what's going on in our city. I think we all want to finish what we've started."

Entering his 21st year on the Council, Gillespie is the second-most senior councilmember after Ward 4's Jerry Krause, having been elected in 1990 when the council expanded from four members to its present six-member body.

Gillespie, representing Ward 2 in northwest Ralston, was initially elected to a two-year term with the Council expansion, but has successfully run for four consecutive four-year terms entering the 2012 election cycle.

"The whole 21 years has been a lot of fun and a real privilege," said Gillespie, a retired project manager with Boyd Jones Construction. "And in 21 years, a lot has happened. I feel honored the people continue to put their trust and confidence in me to represent them in the office."

With his construction experience, Gillespie said he felt it was only appropriate for him to run for re-election and continue to bring his expertise to the Council.

The arena project is just awesome," Gillespie said. "It's something for the whole community and the surrounding communities, but it's also a revenue generator. It's really going to help us in the future to keep our services going and to keep our taxes down. With my background, I feel I can help with the construction process as it continues and help make the decisions to make sure the place is profitable."

In the First Ward — comprising northeast Ralston, including the arena site — Konwinski is also a longtime Council veteran, having first been elected in 1992.

Though stating the arena is her main focus in the immediate future, Konwinski said she also has her eye on attempting to develop the Old Granary at 75th and Main streets.

"When we used to have the health food store there, a little women's shop in there, it was a place people really liked to go," Konwinski said. "I miss going down there and think we could really do something neat with the building."

Looking back at her five terms on the Council, Konwinski said she's proud with what the city has accomplished on her watch.

"It's been a lot of work, but it's been very satisfying," she said. "I think we've really improved Ralston in 20 years, brought it into the modern age with updating our buildings and our downtown. It's a special little town and I think we've helped that continue."

That sense of community is also something Preis hopes to build upon as he enters the ring for the third time as an incumbent.

Having lived in Ralston his entire life, Preis was appointed to the Council in 2003 to complete the term of Mike Roarty. Preis won election in 2004 and again in 2008 for the Ward 6 seat, representing a small portion of extreme southwest Ralston and also the Woodbine and Fairview Heights neighborhoods west of 84th Street.

"I'm running again because I always want to do something for the community," Preis said. "I'm hoping we grow on the arena and see it spread to other parts of town, especially in our downtown. I want to see us continue to improve."

In addition to living in Ralston, Preis is also a veteran of the Ralston Volunteer Fire Department and was among the volunteers who helped build the Frank and Velma Johnson Ralston Archives Museum.

Preis also works at Ralston Automotive downtown and just a block from City Hall, a level of accessbility in which he takes pride.

"When I first got on the Council, I worried that maybe I'd have people coming in to see me all day," he said. "But it's not been like that. Still, people know if they see me down there, they can talk to me or call. I'm happy to help do what I can."

All three candidates are filing the candidacy forms ahead of the Feb. 15 deadline for incumbents in municipal races.

Challengers in the elections have until March 1 to file paperwork to run.

Primary elections for City Council races are slated for May 15. If no challengers file, all three candidates will appear unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election.

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