Retiring commissioner ready to pass responsiblity on to successor

SIKESTON - Having stayed longer than planned, Scott County Commissioner Walter Bizzell is ready to pass the responsibility on to his successor when his term ends Dec. 31.

Bizzell was elected for his first term in 1992 and began as commissioner in January 1993. "It was two year terms then," he recalled. "My intention was to run for three two-year terms, but they made my third term a four (year term)."

As the end of the four years drew near, Bizzell announced he was not seeking re-election, but Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel asked him to run once more.

Bizzell finally agreed to run for one more term, but by the time he did two candidates had filed for what they thought would be race without an incumbent.

"So I went and apologized to them, talked to them," Bizzell recalled. "I really, really felt bad on account of that."

Voters again selected Bizzell, and he settled in for one last four-year term. "But now it's time for me to quit," he said.

Now when he leaves there will be two experienced commissioners. "I'm working with the two best commissioners I've ever worked with," Bizzell said.

During his four terms in office, Bizzell has worked with three different presiding commissioners and four associate commissioners.

"Martin Priggel is all the way for the county - Jamie Burger's the same way," he said. "They're just excellent to work with and we've got a lot done."

Not only is Bizzell done serving as county commissioner, he is done with serving in public office. "I'm not a politician, but I always wanted to be a county commissioner," he said.

The closest Bizzell ever came to being a politician before running for the county commission was serving on the Sikeston's park board.

"I always worked," he said. "I worked three jobs every day for 35 years."

Bizzell worked for the U.S. Post Office as a mail carrier and drove a delivery truck for the Flower Basket. He then started his lawn care business in 1958, "and it's still going great."

The desire to serve as a county commissioner set in during conversations with former county commissioner Eldon Ziegenhorn. "That's when I got the idea, talking to him," Bizzell recalled.

When Bizzell finally discussed his intention to run for the position with his family, "one said, 'No, you're not' and the another said, 'Let's go for it,'" he recalled.

So he ran. "I never lost a precinct," Bizzell said.

Although he had the desire to serve as a county commissioner and did well in the election, Bizzell wasn't completely prepared for the position: "I didn't have any idea of what a commissioner does," he recalled. Before being sworn in, Bizzell talked with Bob Kielhofner who was presiding commissioner and had also served as county clerk. "He helped me a lot," Bizzell said.

As he eventually learned, the job's duties include managing the county budget, reviewing and awarding purchase and service bids, maintaining roads and bridges, and keeping the courthouse in good condition.

The job has changed somewhat over the last 12 years, Bizzell said.

"It's not as much a part-time job as people think it is," he said. The job now involves "lots of meetings, lots of phone calls. Something's going on every day."

He recalled during his first term, they would often adjourn county commission meetings and be home by 10:30 a.m. "Now there's more going on," he said. "It's become more involved now than it used to be." He said commissioners now are "taking more of an interest in their job. ... I think it's improved each year with the commissioners themselves."

Bizzell said he is happy with the job he did over the past 12 years. "I think we accomplished a lot," he said.

Some of the results of projects addressed while he was in office are easy to see like the new Scott County Jail.

"We tried twice to get it on the ballot," he recalled. "We went out and worked at it to get it passed."

Between the County Commission, Sheriff Bill Ferrell and his staff, and the other county office holders and their staffs, Scott County residents were finally convinced of the need for the new jail.

A new office building for the sheriff's department was also built and most recently commissioners have put a lot of effort into restoring the courthouse's interior.

Some of the other things accomplished during his time in office, however, are not as visible but just as important.

"My biggest accomplishment I think is bridge building - replacing bridges," he said. "And the roads have improved."

While it would nice to have all the county's roads blacktopped, it just isn't feasible, Bizzell said - it's just too many miles of road to keep maintained and resurfaced with the county's limited resources.

Scott County Commissions will continue to do well as long as they "continue working for the county, continue working at it," he said.

In a way, things have come around full circle as his successor, Dennis Eldon Ziegenhorn, is the son of the man who inspired him to seek the position in the first place. "I think Dennis will make a good commissioner - he'll work at it," Bizzell said.

While he expressed is appreciation for those who voted him into office four times, Bizzell said he has also met a lot of good people from the county's other district on the north end of the county as well. "I've enjoyed it - I honestly have enjoyed working in the county, with the county, with the officeholders and with the public," he said of his time in office.

With the new year bringing him a lot more free time, Bizzell said he will spend some of it running errands for the nursery and lawn care business and will have more time to spend in his shop with his tool collection.

"I won't have any trouble finding something to do," he predicted.