Ward 1 council member Dan Preston reflects on eight years in Cape Girardeau

Dan Preston, Ward 1 city council member, said he will leave office in April 2026 after eight years and cited downtown redevelopment, a planned park in the Red Star flood-buyout area and recovery from a city cyberattack among his primary accomplishments.

Preston described how a neighborhood fight over backyard chickens prompted him to speak at council meetings and ultimately run in 2018. "I got that experience talking in front of the council and that sort of tipped it all off," he said, explaining that community organizing led him into elected office.

The interview covered the routine, sometimes overlooked mechanics of municipal government. Preston emphasized the part-time pay and heavy responsibilities of council service: "City council members do pay $100 a month. The mayor gets paid $150 a month," he said, adding, "You're doing it for the love of community... it's not about the money." He urged prospective candidates to be prepared for hard votes and difficult constituent conversations.

Preston pointed to several concrete local accomplishments. He said he secured language in a stormwater tax renewal to reserve funding for a future park in the Red Star flood-buyout area, but cautioned that FEMA buyout dollars carry rules about what can be built on those properties: "It has to meet certain criteria of what can and can't be there," he said. He expects planning for the park to begin in about a year as funds accrue.

He also described a contentious downtown decision over the Broadway Theater that narrowly passed and led to renovation rather than demolition. "We were able to actually save that building," Preston said of a 5–4 vote that he described as a turning point for downtown redevelopment. Other development highlights he cited include a tax-increment financing project that brought a Courtyard by Marriott, renovation of two former Broadway theaters and ongoing work to redevelop a 150,000‑square‑foot Sears Grand building.

On day-to-day governance, Preston explained that Cape Girardeau operates under a city‑manager form of government: the council hires a city manager to run staff and deliver services. He noted the city is the largest population center in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and described Ward 1 as roughly 65–70% rental-occupied with student housing, the university, a casino and riverfront access. That mix, he said, creates persistent tensions between long-term homeowners and transient renters.

Preston recounted major challenges the city faced during his tenure, including the COVID‑19 pandemic and a subsequent cyberattack on city systems. He called attention to the limits of municipal finance—many funds are legally earmarked and unavailable for ad hoc spending—urging patience and long‑term planning when constituents expect immediate solutions.

Asked what advice he would leave for his successor, Preston recommended trusting and leaning on experienced city staff: "If you have a question about a pothole, Public Works is there and they are seasoned professionals," he said. He added that being willing to learn and to ask tough questions is more important than arriving with positions on every issue.

Preston said he intends to stay engaged in the community after his term ends and is open to future roles. The interview closed with thanks from the host, James Newman, and the moderator.

The interview provides a look at municipal responsibilities, tradeoffs in local economic development, and the practical limits local officials face when funds are earmarked or constrained by federal programs such as FEMA.