The Pettis County Ambulance District Board of Directors will have a new member after newcomer Kim Graves defeated incumbent John Fritz for the Sub-district 4 seat in the April 5 municipal election.
Graves received 495 votes (64.29%), while Fritz received 273 votes (35.45%).
“I’m honored that the citizens have chosen me. And I hope I can be as diligent in my oversight as possible,” Graves told the Democrat by phone Tuesday night.
2022 was Graves’ first time running for the PCAD board. He is a former educator in the Sedalia School District 200. He is involved with Wesley United Methodist Church and has served on several local boards, including the Sedalia School District Foundation and the Pettis County Community Partnership. He is currently a member of the Pettis County Board for the Developmentally Disabled and the Sedalia Police Personnel Board.
“I’d like to thank my supporters, and I’d like to thank John Fritz for his work in the establishment and management of the ambulance district,” Graves said. “I know that it’s involved a lot of time and energy on every board member’s part.”
Graves has been a part of the Sedalia community for 40 years and said it’s a “wonderful” community where he plans to remain.
“I’m looking forward to getting up to speed and acquainting myself with the board’s procedures and find some areas that I can contribute,” Graves said of being a board member-elect.
Fritz was first appointed to the PCAD board in 2018 to fill a vacant seat left by Les Harrell. He was elected to serve his first full three-year term in 2019 and served as treasurer during that time. He was also part of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Fritz had been part of the ambulance district since before its formation, serving on the Sedalia-Pettis County EMS Committee in 2010, followed by the Say Yes to EMS Committee that lobbied for a sales tax to support an ambulance district. Voters approved the tax in 2012.
The Professional Paramedics and EMTs of Pettis County Local 5229 had endorsed Fritz in the municipal election.
“I take full ownership of the campaign and it was obvious to me that I didn’t get a chance to speak to the right voters,” Fritz told the Democrat by phone. “I’m disappointed, I’m disappointed for the employees at the district and for the future of the district. I thought I was the voice of experience.”
Fritz spoke highly of his opponent, saying Graves and his wife “have done great things in this community, are fine educators, and had a great network that they used to talk to the right voters.” He said Graves will be a “good representative for the people.”
While he will soon no longer be a PCAD board member, Fritz said he plans to continue his support and involvement with the district.
“The people I most embrace that makes this district so magical are the employees,” Fritz said. “I’m going to continue to support Union 5229 and what they have embraced is the same thing we’ve embraced in that strategic plan: compassionate care for every patient.”
