Columbia Ward 4 candidates focus on infrastructure, fiscal responsibility ahead of August election
Olivia Hayes
ABC 17 News has interviewed candidates heading into the Aug. 4 election. On the ballot for Columbia’s Ward 4 seat are Ryan King, Dave Sorrell and Sharon Jones.
FULL INTERVIEW LINKS: Ryan King – Dave Sorrell – Sharon Jones
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
When Columbia’s former Ward 4 Councilman Nick Foster announced his resignation in May, he was just over a year into his new term.
Foster has been on the council since 2022 and was re-elected April 2025. Around 21,000 Columbians reside in Ward 4.
The turnaround to get his seat filled has been quick, with little time to campaign before August elections, but the three candidates looking to fill his seat all say they are qualified.
Dave Sorrell, Ryan King and Sharon Jones will face off Aug. 4 in a special election that coincides with the statewide primary. Sorrell and Jones have spent decades in the city, while King moved to the area in 2019.
Sorrell was a city employee for 24 years, starting as an engineer in public works and holding several other positions before retiring last year as Director of Columbia Utilities. He’s lived in Columbia for 39 years and in Ward 4 for 29 years.
Sorrell said setting focus back to “the basics and fundamentals” is the biggest hurdle facing Ward 4.
“I want to focus on the fundamentals and get back to good government that doesn’t have politics involved in decisions,” Sorrell said.
Sorrell said he wanted to run for the seat when it opened because his commitment to public service didn’t end when he retired.
“I think I could help the city get its focus back on the basic functions,” Sorrell said. “Strong public safety infrastructure, planning for growth, wise use of our financial resources and accountability to the ratepayers and taxpayers.”
Former Mayor Brian Treece criticized Sorrell on ABC 17 News’ Facebook page in May, questioning Sorrell’s time as utilities director and citing delayed or unfinished projects. The two worked together for six years when Treece was mayor.
“Before asking voters to entrust him with another public role, residents deserve a clear explanation for why so many of these long-promised improvements remain incomplete,” a portion of Treece’s comment says.
Sorrell attributed the problem to previous elected officials.
“The staff doesn’t hold the purse strings. We can’t appropriate funds, and we can’t approve projects; we can only request, and so it was not for lack of effort,” Sorrell said.
Campaign finance documents released July 15 show Treece donated $200 to the campaign of Sorrell’s opponent Sharon Jones.
However, Sorrell’s campaign, Neighbors for Dave Sorrell, received financial support from some of his former coworkers, iIncluding $1,041 from City of Columbia HR specialist Jeanne Locklear and $208 from City of Columbia civil engineer Lindsey Cook. In total, Sorrell has raised $15,041.
Jones has lived in Columbia since 2000. She has served on Columbia’s Planning and Zoning Commission since 2020 and is now chair of the commission.
Jones said getting sufficient services out to the ward’s western edge is the biggest challenge facing the district.
“Getting utilities out there, getting infrastructure like good quality roads all the way out as we sprawl that way,” Jones said.
Jones said she decided to run for the seat after motivation from people in the community following Foster’s announcement.
“I had some people reach out to me and say, ‘Hey, you’re Chair of Planning and Zoning. Would you like to be on City Council? We’d love to support you.’ So I thought it sounded like a great way to continue my service to the community,” Jones said.
Jones works in Jefferson City part of the year as a lobbyist for civil-rights groups, Missouri voters and LGBTQ+ rights through her Jone Advocacy Group. Jones said she isn’t worried about the job taking away from the duties she would have to Ward 4 residents.
“It’s all sort of concentrated while the legislature is in session, and then when they’re not in session, I have a lot more flexibility,” Jones said. “I also have a great team of employees, in both of the businesses that I own, who can manage things day to day if I need to step back so I can do more city council work.”
Jones said she wants to make Columbia work for everyone.
“I am here to make sure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity, that they have a workplace where they can feel safe and respected, that they have a home where they can feel safe and proud of their community that they live in,” Jones said.
King described himself as an independent voice looking to make Columbia’s neighborhoods stronger.
“Through fiscal responsibility, infrastructure, also access to parks and trails,” King said. “We also need to focus on affordable housing, to make sure that young families, especially, are able to live in Columbia and enjoy all the great things about it.”
King said infrastructure is the biggest problem facing Ward 4.
“There are some infrastructure projects that were approved by voters in 2015, and they still need to be completed. I don’t even know if we have enough money from those bonds to pay for these projects anymore,” King said.
He also touched on the city’s financial situation and the need to balance the budget, as years of waning tax revenue have created ongoing deficits.
“We’ve been running a deficit in the millions, like the last year especially,” King said. “We need to make sure our spending is deliberate and that what we’re spending money on is things that we actually need.”
King proposed incentivizing multi-family housing to create more affordable options in the city.
He is a member of the city’s Housing and Community Development Commission and part of the board for the Columbia Track Club.
Along with his community involvement, King is a social services attorney and a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve. He called his life experience diverse and believes it will benefit him if elected.