FARR DESCRIBES HIS VICTORY FOR DAGMAR WOOD
No doubt one of the biggest eye-opening results from the Aug. 6 primary election in Platte County was Marcus Farr knocking off Dagmar Wood in a tight race for Platte County assessor.
Farr, running for public office for the first time, knocked off Wood by 72 votes, with Farr getting 4,735 to 4,663 for Wood. The percentages were 50.38% for Farr to 49.62% for Wood.
“The evening of Aug. 6 showed the true definition of David vs. Goliath,” Farr told The Landmark. “I didn’t have the money like Dagmar had throughout the campaign. But what I did have was dedication and determination,” Farr added.
Wood had decided against seeking reelection to her current position as first district county commissioner and opted instead to seek the office of county assessor. Wood had first been elected commissioner in 2016 and won a re-election effort in 2020 in rather narrow margin, 52-48%, over a political newcomer (Dan Mason) who did not heavily campaign for the seat.
Farr’s victory is notable not just because of the name recognition advantage for Wood but also because Wood had amassed a war chest of more than $96,500 to spend on her campaign for assessor.
As of her “eight days before” the election committee report dated July 26 and on file with the Missouri Ethics Commission, Wood had spent $64,778. A final report from candidates is due 30 days after the election, when it will become known exactly how much of the $96,500 Wood spent.
On the other hand, Farr’s campaign report indicates he had raised $22,302 for his campaign for assessor, roughly $74,000 less than Wood. Through his “eight days before” finance report, Farr had spent $19,818 of his $22,302.
“This is a victory that I was told would be impossible due to Dagmar’s connections that she built over the past two years in preparation for this transition from commissioner to assessor. Her underlying reason was personal from the start. Her intentions were never to be a good assessor. They were all political and personal. This gave me all the more reasons to announce my candidacy,” Farr remarked.
Farr is a certified real estate appraiser and an experienced appraiser working in the office of the county assessor.
“This was a journey that started shortly after Dagmar Wood announced her candidacy. Being an employee with the assessor’s office, I knew that with her track record the office and county would have suffered severely. Then when David Cox announced his retirement, I clearly knew the direction I was meant to go. I was told by many that it would be a long, hard journey. But I didn’t care, it was what had to be done,” Farr continued.
“I was not going to let anything stop me. I proved that hard work will prevail. It was not given to me. I had to go out and take it. That is what I did,” Farr remarked.
He added: “Remember, this was not something that I did alone. The support that I had during this entire campaign was unbelievable. It was a true indicator what people are willing to fight for. They just want the right thing to be done. I am so grateful to everyone.”
Farr added that in the past seven months “of talking and listening, I heard what the Platte County citizens want and need. Now of course there is still a job that needs to be done, which will still be done within the state requirements.”
Farr said his approach as assessor will be conservative.
“As I expressed throughout my campaign, I am here for the people. I will not be constrained by conflicts of interest and I will show no bias. I will ensure that the public will be informed and knowledgeable with this entire process. There will be transparency and complete truthfulness,” he stated.
FINANCE REPORTS
Some of the largest financial contributors to Wood’s unsuccessful campaign were developers and homebuilders.
NorthPoint Development LLC gave Wood $20,000; NorthPoint’s chief marketing officer Brent Miles gave her $1,000; NorthPoint’s founder, Nathaniel Hagedorn, gave her $1,000.
Brian Mertz of PC Homes LLC, the developer of Creekside in Parkville, gave Wood a $10,000 donation last December.
John Elliott, who formerly served with Wood on the Platte County Commission and is owner of the firm known as Inside Information, gave Wood a $5,000 donation last November. Jim Owens, homebuilder, donated $5,000 last November. Marcy Earwood, homemaker with a Platte City address, is listed as donating $5,000 to Wood last December.
KCI Hotels gave Wood $2,500.01, as did KC Management Group LLC. The Missouri Alliance for Freedom Grace River PAC gave her $2,500.
Notable expenses listed by Wood on reports available thus far include seven different listings of “mailer” performed by Axiom Strategies of Kansas City. Cost for the mailers ranged from $6,630 to $7,531 apiece.
As for Farr’s campaign reports, his large donations were received from Christine Farr, Platte City, self-employed with the Sunshine Shed, $5,000 in February; Stephen Gourley, retired, of Chesterfield, Ill. for $4,000 in May; Marcy Earwood, homemaker, Platte City, $3,500 in July; The Sunshine Shed, Platte City, $3,000 in May; Tony Farr, realtor, $1,000 in February; Boyd and Leanne Hiatt, Weston, auctioneer, $1,000 in February.
Among Farr’s listed expenses through July 28 was one listing of $4,740.20 for “mailers,” paid to Advantage Printing of Leavenworth.
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