Appointed incumbent Rebecca Rooney has narrowly won out over former alderman Patrick Farnan for the Ward 1 seat up for grabs in Weston. Rooney received 43 votes to Farnan’s 41 votes. In Ward 2, Joyce Burch did not seek re-election and James Lowe was elected to the seat unopposed, earning 44 votes, although one write-in vote was also tallied.
Rooney was appointed by the board after current mayor Cliff Harvey was elected from his alderman’s seat last April.
Rebecca Rooney
Rooney, 59, works as a registered nurse and also works part time at the Department of Labor. Married with two children, she has served on several community boards and is currently president of the Weston seniors housing board and on the Platte County Board of Services for the Developmentally Disabled and the county Domestic Violence Board.
She said her experience on these boards has helped her to manage large budgets and work with the public.
“I am able to be objective when dealing with issues facing the city, and balance the city’s needs as a whole yet considering the individuals who come before the city council,” Rooney said. “I am also able to work a budget within the confines of state and federal laws regarding allocation and receipt of funds.”
She said one of Weston’s unique challenges is respecting the past while looking to the future. She also cites keeping up with infrastructure and watching the actions of the state legislature as areas of concern.