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Serving others: Ziegenhorn reflects on his 30 years as an elected official
SIKESTON — As Dennis Ziegenhorn sits in his office, surrounded by photos of his family and friends, reflecting on his 30 years in elected office, he tells story after story. And the one main theme with every story is helping those who elected him to serve.
“My whole political career I’ve made myself accessible to people,” said Ziegenhorn. “If you needed anything, I like to think you know I’m there.”
Ziegenhorn served as a state representative from 1980 to 1994 and after an 11-year hiatus from politics, he was elected to the Scott County Commission and began serving in 2005. When 2021 arrives, he will no longer be a commissioner after losing to Terry Cole in the November election by a slim margin of 3,996 to 3,893.
Ziegenhorn looks back on his time in public office as one where he served the area to the best of his ability.
State Representative
Despite never holding public office, Ziegenhorn decided to run for state representative as a Democrat in 1980, defeating incumbent Clifford LaPlant in the Democratic primary before earning the right to represent the 159th district by besting Republican challenger Richard C. Powell.
When arriving in Jefferson City, many didn’t know his background and were quick to ask the Sikestonian about his credentials.
“My answer was I was president of the Sikeston Jaycees,” Ziegenhorn said. “That was enough in Sikeston.”
Ziegenhorn said he was quiet when he was first elected to the legislature, sitting back listening and learning. But he soon realized that he didn’t have a wide-range of knowledge for all the bills that he was seeing.
“The worst thing that happened to me as a legislature is that all of a sudden I was supposed to know about everything,” Ziegenhorn said. “I’m supposed to know whether certain eye drugs dilate your eyes. Now I don’t know that, so I’ve got to rely on my constituency.”
And Ziegenhorn did.
“My most valuable asset in the legislature was people like Dr. Bob Buchanan and Rick Adams and Steve Taylor,” Ziegenhorn said.
The former representative called up one story when a large education bill was being proposed for the state. One day, while Ziegenhorn was talking to Buchanan, who served as the superintendent of Sikeston Public Schools from 1986-1997, Bob Holden walked by. Ziegenhorn stopped Holden, who sponsored the bill and would later become governor, and asked him to talk to Buchanan about the bill.
Ziegenhorn said he listened for 30 minutes as the two talked about the bill. When Holden hung up the phone, he commented that Buchanan “knows more about the bill than I do.”
“That was my success — calling people and talking to them,” Ziegenhorn said. “They knew what was in that bill and knew what was good and bad.”
He said people like Rob Mitchell, Steve Taylor and Rick Adams were invaluable when he chaired the insurance committee and was vice chair of the banking committee.
“But I relied on anybody that called me,” Ziegenhorn said that those who contacted him often were the ones that were going to be impacted by the bill. “I never felt or believed I knew everything about the bill.”
As a way to help reach people, Ziegenhorn installed a 1-800 number so those calling him wouldn’t have to pay long distance phone fees. And Ziegenhorn didn’t dodge any phone calls.
“The main thing I’ve done, is calling people back,” Ziegenhorn said. “I never left the capital until I had every phone call back to the people. If I didn’t call you back, I didn’t get your call.”
Many of the phone calls Ziegenhorn received were issues with red tape his constituents needed help with, sometimes turning the politician into a delivery driver. Something he relished.
“I would bring a lot of stuff back to Sikeston,” Ziegenhorn said. “My whole goal was the people that I represented was serving them and not so much the legislation but serving them as a representative. Get them through the red tape.”
He realized this early on when he received a phone call from a constituent who needed his license plates. When Ziegenhorn called the Department of Revenue to check on the plates, he was told it would take about two weeks to get them. The woman on the other line asked for a number to reach Ziegenhorn and he gave her his legislative number. When she realized he was a representative the plates were on his desk within 30 minutes.
“I learned up there when I was (in Jefferson City) I was representative Ziegenhorn and when I was in Sikeston, I’m Dennis — if I’m lucky,” Ziegenhorn laughed. “That’s the world that’s up there is to get things done and that’s my goal — to get things done. Bring things back to constituency. Back then birth certificates were given through the state and I’d come home sometimes and bring 5-6 birth certificates to people.”
But Ziegenhorn was much more than a courier. He also did his best to convey to the public the issues and bills that could impact them.
One way he did this was through a weekly column in the Standard Democrat. With the help of Mike Jensen, the two crafted Ziegenhorn’s columns as a way to reach the masses.
“There’s lots of bills up there and a lot of things that do not pertain to Sikeston, Missouri or this district,” Ziegenhorn said. “So we tried to personalize every week what was going on that might effect Sikeston. I’m not a writer but Mike had it figured out and said what I was trying to say.”
Ziegenhorn also had a weekly radio show that would help explain the issues of the time.
His relations with the voters worked. In 1982, after his district changed due to redistricting, he won the representative seat for the 157th district every two years from 1982-1990 before his district changed once again in 1992. This time he had to face incumbent Ollie Amick in the primary to win the 160th district before running unopposed in the general election.
In all of his time as a state representative, the two bills he was most proud of was co-sponsoring the seat belt law and child restraint law.
“I probably took as much flack over the seat belt law as anything I ever did,” Ziegenhorn said. “A lot of people didn’t like it, but it’s proven in the 30 years it’s been there it’s saved lives.”
Scott County Commissioner
As 1994 approached, Ziegenhorn decided it was time to step away and concentrate more on family.
“I really came back to watch two kids play football,” Ziegenhorn said. “I came back to really get involved. You can’t bring that back on a video tape and it was time for me to leave up there.”
Ziegenhorn stayed out of politics for a decade but he saw an opportunity to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for county commissioner in the 2004 election and jumped at the chance.
“The (cutouts of people) that I have standing around this community waving to you got me elected,” Ziegenhorn laughed. “I won and I was very excited because my father had been up there for 18 years. Even the name plate on my desk was his. It has my name on one side and his on the other.”
Ziegenhorn brought his same approach he had as a representative to his role as commissioner — be available. He said he continues to always return phone calls and does his best to do what is best for the county.
“The biggest privilege I had at the end of being a commissioner was we were handed $4.5 million to spread out in our county for future COVID prevention,” Ziegenhorn said. “I really feel like we spent the money well. It’s all spent through the hospital, the schools and cities. The money was well spent.”
The commission spent all of the $4.5 million they were given and Ziegenhorn said it was his and the commissions goal to do just that.
“If somebody wants to call me a liberal Democrat well go ahead and do it because I had no intention of sending the government back any of that money,” Ziegenhorn laughed.
Still, being a Democrat or Republican has no bearing on being a commissioner according to Ziegenhorn.
“What does the sheriff have to do with politics? What do (commissioners) have to do with politics? Nothing,” Ziegenhorn said. “I worry about roads, bridges and the county budget. That’s what I did. That didn’t have anything to do with legislation. But I didn’t make the rules and I’m sure not going to be the one to change them.”
One thing Ziegenhorn did help change was saving the Scott County Jail money by instituting ankle bracelets for non-violent offenders.
“I think that’s a much cheaper way,” Ziegenhorn said. “Let non-violent offenders go home and let mom and dad or wife or husband feed them and save the tax payers some money.”
With his frugality, Ziegenhorn also was part of helping to balance the state budget when he was representative as well as the county’s budget in his time as a commissioner. He also helped set up a rainy day fund for the county that has accumulated over $1 million. But he isn’t afraid to approve the use of the money either.
“It’s ok to have money in savings if you don’t have any needs,” Ziegenhorn said. “Not wants, but needs. I don’t want a road out here destroying trucks and combines and tractors and stuff if I’m bragging about having $1 million in the budget.”
Ziegenhorn was also quick to praise many people at the courthouse, including county clerk Rita Milam.
“Over my 16 years, Rita and I had a few run-ins but she was right 95% of the time,” Ziegenhorn laughed. “She is one of the best county clerks in the state, is very conscientious and has some very dedicated people working for her. I can’t say enough about her.”
He also was proud of the way he and his fellow commissioners were able to get things done in the county.
“I can’t say enough about Donnie (Kiefer) and Jamie (Burger),” Ziegenhorn said. “We worked great as a team. They are good about taking care of county problems now and not making them wait.”
What’s next
As Jan. 1 rolls around, Ziegenhorn will no longer be an elected official again, and once again he plans on devoting his time to his family and community.
Ziegenhorn praised his wife Karen as well as his sons Dez and Bart and their families for all the support he’s received over the years. He loves his role as grandfather and plans to continue his active role in their lives as well as remaining active in the community.
Whether it be ringing a bell for the Salvation Army or selling chili tickets for the Lion’s Club he isn’t going to be idle and says he is available to help the community.
“I can’t sit in here and vacuum the office and clean the windows,” Ziegenhorn said. “I have to have something to do.”
And while he didn’t rule out a return to politics, it’s not in his immediate future.
“The worst problem I’ve got is the best problem I’ve got – I’ve got a lot of energy,” Ziegenhorn said. “I do like politics. But, right now I don’t have any plans except being a Papa Z to my grandkids and serving Sikeston.”
Even if Ziegenhorn doesn’t return to politics, he is content with his service to the area and what he has accomplished.
“I really enjoyed my tour of duty,” Ziegenhorn said. “I hope that I did a good job for the people that elected me.”