One of the few contested races in Taney County in the April elections is for the office of Mayor for the City of Forsyth. Two candidates are vying for the position – current Mayor Missi Hesketh and challenger Julie AuBuchon. In order to keep our readers informed, the Branson Globe presented both candidates with a list of questions. Their answers appear below.
1. Give me a little background information on yourself, please.
Missi Hesketh: "My sister and I are Irish twins, born on opposite ends of 1971, to a very young Vietnam veteran and his even younger wife. Early childhood was not easy, but I was fortunate to make it out of poverty with the support and guidance of my adoptive mom, her family, and a lot of great teachers and friends. I worked in food service, business and finance until switching to education 20 years ago. I earned my ED. S. in Special Education and Assessment from MSU in 2023. I taught in Forsyth for 14 years and have now been at Ozark Schools for five years, facilitating Gifted Education in grades 7-12. And, I love to travel!"
Julie AuBuchon: "Born and raised in rural Kansas. I was offered an insurance position in St. George, Utah. Later, I was offered an agency in Las Vegas. Taking a break from that industry, my husband and I ventured into managing luxury retirement apartments. All of these past experiences have broadened my skill set to work with people and solve problems."
2. Are you from Forsyth? If not, when did you move here, and why?
Missi Hesketh: "My parents followed my grandparents to Forsyth from the Chicago suburbs in 1983. Pops loved to fish and was in real estate, so he recognized Forsyth for the opportunities it provided. I am a Forsyth graduate and have been raising my family here since 2006, to be closer to family and friends."
Julie AuBuchon: "When we were ready to retire, my husband had family in St. Louis and I in Wichita. We chose Forsyth as it is about the size of the town where I grew up and halfway between the two cities. That was 2021. We love the Ozarks area and the people who live here."
3. Tell me about your family, please.
Missi Hesketh: I have three wonderful children, two of whom have already graduated from Forsyth and are working toward their own careers. The baby is a junior at FHS. My folks still live in Cedar Creek, although my dad is currently in an assisted living facility, following a stroke in December."
Julie AuBuchon: "My husband and I together have five children and seven grandchildren, living all across the country."
4. What are your core values/beliefs?
Missi Hesketh: "I believe in strong and consistent stewardship. Stewardship is ethical and responsible management of resources. Having raised my three children mostly as a single parent, I quickly learned how to budget weekly, monthly and annually, yet to have a vision and future goals, and slowly chip away at bringing those goals to realization. Responsible stewardship of tax dollars, with a vision and a plan for the future, aligns with how I have handled things on the home front and in my seven years of public service on city council. And, I approach my public service with integrity and transparency."
Julie AuBuchon: "I've always been interested in our Constitution and political process. The founding of our country was based on biblical principles, and I am concerned that we are not teaching that to our children. I am currently taking a biblical citizenship class to better understand and explain it to others."
5. Tell me about your decision to run for mayor:
Missi Hesketh: "It was easy for me to decide to run for reelection for mayor. Myself and the board of aldermen have worked well together to make inroads into addressing literal decades of neglect in nearly every department in the city. I want to continue with what we have started and also continue working with the board and other groups to improve the quality of services provided and bring additional employment/shopping options to Forsyth."
Julie AuBuchon: "Our current mayor ran unopposed and unknown. Then she ran for the 7th District and we were able to get to know her. She lost to Eric Burlison. Her political platform appears to be the opposite of the majority of our community. I am a pro-life, pro 2-A, pro-liberty loving American. I chose to run in this election because several people reached out to me and were concerned that she would be reelected by default once again. From her website, it appears that my opponent will attempt to run for a higher office in 2026. Campaigning is time consuming. I am retired and have the time to devote my attention to being part of a team that faces the tough challenges."
6. What do you feel are the biggest issues that Forsyth is currently facing, and how would you address those issues?
Missi Hesketh: "The answer to the question of which is the biggest current issue facing the city is multi-faceted. And, that is because everything is interconnected. We have a lack of support for our local businesses; therefore, we have a lack of local businesses and far too many empty storefronts. As a result, we lack sufficient tax revenues to be able to be more competitive in salaries to fully staff the police department or to expand administration to include marketing to bring folks to town. And, too, with the empty storefronts comes a lack of local employment opportunities, which is terrible for our locals who then have the expense and strain on time of commuting, alongside rent that is too high. So, the short answer to the biggest issue facing the city? Changed consumer habits.
Julie AuBuchon: "Forsyth has some issues of dangerous and deteriorating buildings. This has been ongoing even before Missi was mayor. I've talked to residents who are also concerned with other city ordinances being ignored. And, poop will not run uphill, so the sewer and lift stations are always a concern. The health and safety of the city is a priority. Providing the best service and staying within the budget is a daily balancing act."
7. What can you bring to the table if elected/re-elected Mayor of Forsyth?
Missi Hesketh: "Foremost, I bring seven years of experience on the city council to the table. I also bring a degree of perseverance in getting tasks that may seem daunting completed. It took a dozen years but we finally succeeded in getting the demolition of the Shadowrock Lodge building done. I bring the goal of having the community provide input into a 20-year Comprehensive Plan incorporating Planning and Zoning in order to protect property values and make grant writing easier. Additionally, I really want to see the master plan for Shoals Bend Park created. These plans will aid in future budgeting discussions and serve as a community-led plan of priorities that future elected officials would then follow."
Julie AuBuchon: "I think my skill set and life experiences will help the aldermen to be able to have more information to make the best possible decision for our community."
8. What makes you the best candidate for the job?
Missi Hesketh: "I have the experience. I understand, however disappointing it may be, that change does not happen overnight and that our departments and dedicated employees within are doing the best they can to maintain and improve services as possible with limited resources. I also have the better reputation for working well with others."
Julie AuBuchon: "I am not a politician and I won't make any promises. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. As mayor, I will listen to the voice of the people, work with the board and city administration, striving to achieve the best possible outcomes for all."
9. How about asking our readers to vote for you?
Missi Hesketh: "I would appreciate the support of your vote so that I may continue to work with the board to bring Forsyth forward with improved efficiency and drawn-out goals for the future. "
Julie AuBuchon: "I am not a politician, but a caring, common-sense conservative servant leader. Let's make Forsyth the best it can be!"
10. What else would you like our readers to know?
Missi Hesketh: "If you are unsure of who to vote for, I would encourage folks to view some meeting archives and/or the City's most recent audit report (score of Clean/Good), which can be located on the City of Forsyth website, www.cityofforsythmo.gov. I would also encourage folks to reach out to their alderman and inquire about my work ethic. And, then, I would encourage folks, too, to inquire how my opponent contributed in her most recent role on the board at the Taneycomo Terrace Condo Association. It is wise to check resumes."
Julie AuBuchon: "Please know who you are voting for, their core values, their beliefs and where they stand on issues that are of importance to you. Let your voice be heard and your values matter."
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