In a 4-1 vote, the Excelsior Springs City Council recently elected Mark Spohn as mayor of the town, while Stephen Spear was re-elected as mayor pro tem. Spohn takes the gavel from Sharon Powell, who served in that position since 2020. Powell was elected to the council in 2014 and was named mayor pro-tem in 2016. “She has served dutifully and was steadfast in her role as mayor,” council member Sonya Morgan said of Powell. Of her successes as mayor, Powell obtained community-centered sales tax refunding revenue bonds to finance the new outdoor pool for the community center, along with the first QuikTrip to be built in Excelsior Springs and serving as co-chair of the Total Eclipse of the Sun Festival. Powell’s other accomplishments include obtaining $32 million in transportation grants, $4.9 million in stormwater grants, $1.75 million in sewer re-lining projects, $1.5 million in bridge repairs and $1 mi...