A Guide: How to Use Your Voice in Local Government.

A Guide to How Lebanon's City Government Works

Electing Your Representative

The City of Lebanon is run by an elected City Council made up of the Mayor and eight Councilmembers. Each of the city's four wards elects two Councilmembers to staggered two-year terms, so every year certain seats come up for election. The Mayor is elected at large and serves a four-year term.

Depending on which of the city's four wards you live in, you vote for a councilmember who casts votes on your behalf.

That election matters. That person is your representative. They speak for you at council.

Here are some of the things that happen at city meetings.

Lebanon City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at Lebanon City Hall, 401 S. Jefferson Avenue, in the Stanley H. Allen Council Chambers.

Work Session: 6:00 PMCouncil Meeting: 6:30 PM

All meetings are open to the public. Agendas and minutes are posted at lebanonmo.portal.civicclerk.com.

Work Sessions

Work sessions usually happen before the regular council meeting. This is where council hears things for the first time and looks over proposed ordinances. No votes take place at a work session.

Council Meetings

The regular City Council meeting is where votes happen. A few different things take place there.

Public comment. This is your time to talk about whatever you want.

Public hearing. This is narrowed down to the specific subject on the agenda.

Agendas for these meetings are posted online and in the paper ahead of time.

The Vote

After a public hearing, council will vote, sometimes at the same meeting, sometimes at the next one. A vote can go one of three ways: approve, vote no, or table the idea for later.

If You Don't Like a Decision

You can go back to a council meeting and speak during public comment. You can contact your councilmember directly. And when their seat comes up again, you can vote for someone new.

Staying in contact with your councilmember and staying involved is how decisions you don't agree with can get revisited or reversed. It comes full circle. You can always vote for a new representative in your ward if you don't like how you're being represented.

Why This Matters

Voter turnout for local municipal elections is historically low. If you don't show up to the polls, to public hearings, or make your voice heard some other way, your silence still counts as a vote.

This isn't about defending any one decision. It's about showing you how the process works, so you can be more involved in the decisions that get made.

If you don't like what's going on, get out and vote. If you do like what's going on, get out and make your voice heard. Both matter equally.

Not Sure What Ward You Live In?

Call the City Clerk's Office at (417) 991-2360.

Your Representatives

Mayor

Jared Carr

jcarr@lebanonmo.org

Ward 1

Jaret Scharnhorst

jscharnhorst@lebanonmo.org

Mike Evans

mevans@lebanonmo.org

Ward 2

Dan Mizell

dmizell@lebanonmo.org

Joe Berkich

jberkich@lebanonmo.org

Ward 3

Jeffrey Mutchler

jmutchler@lebanonmo.org

Randy Wall

rwall@lebanonmo.org

Ward 4

Chuck Jordan

cjordan@lebanonmo.org

Bob Garner

bgarner@lebanonmo.org