Roy Lovelady 'ecstatic' after defeating incumbent Karl Skala for Columbia City Council

Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
·3 min read
Roy Lovelady smiles after talking to supporters on his cell phone Tuesday at his 360 Star Styling Studio at 2617 Paris Road. Lovelady received 1,419 votes to incumbent Karl Skala’s 1,269 to win the Third Ward city council seat that Skala held for four terms.
Roy Lovelady smiles after talking to supporters on his cell phone Tuesday at his 360 Star Styling Studio at 2617 Paris Road. Lovelady received 1,419 votes to incumbent Karl Skala’s 1,269 to win the Third Ward city council seat that Skala held for four terms.

Roy Lovelady has brought change to the Third Ward.

After tying Columbia City Council incumbent Karl Skala in the Third Ward race April 5, Lovelady defeated Skala in a special election Tuesday, unseating him after four terms.

Lovelady received 1,419 votes Tuesday compared to Skala's 1,269 in unofficial results, with all nine precincts reporting.

The excitement at Lovelady's salon, 360 Star Styling Studio, was palpable for Lovelady and his supporters who were present to cheer him on as the final result came in.

"I am ecstatic. I'm a mix of emotions, but all of them being grateful," he said.

While Lovelady, a community activist and business owner, is not in a rush to place agenda items before the council, he wants to address issues with crime in the Third Ward, he said in the lead-up to Tuesday.

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He wants to take time to learn and understand his new role, he said.

Columbia City Council Third Ward candidate Roy Lovelady talks to members of the media soon after the announcement that Lovelady beat incumbent Karl Skala in a special election on Tuesday. Lovelady received 1,419 votes to Skala’s 1,269.
Columbia City Council Third Ward candidate Roy Lovelady talks to members of the media soon after the announcement that Lovelady beat incumbent Karl Skala in a special election on Tuesday. Lovelady received 1,419 votes to Skala’s 1,269.

Addressing crime rates in the ward could include the development of a strategic plan, Lovelady said, adding other priorities will focus on affordable housing.

"I am not saying me alone will be the answer," he said Tuesday.

Lovelady likes the idea of bringing back ward-focused, community-based policing, but wants to find a new way to re-establish such a program, he said.

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"It was working. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, but I definitely want the wheel to roll without a flat," Lovelady said.

He wants community policing to be about civilian teamwork with officers. This could include neighborhood watch programs, he said.

Skala and Lovelady both expressed surprise over the April tie, in which they each got 1,102 votes. The deadlock this spring — the first of its kind in Columbia — indicated people wanted to see a change and a new voice on the council, Lovelady said.

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Skala ran his campaign on his longtime experience on the council and previous service on city boards and commissions. He encouraged voters to trust his consistency.

Lovelady did not want to be counted out for his inexperience in city politics, and said in the lead-up to the election that he was ready to learn so that he can "have long, true, positive effects" on the council.

"I think what enabled me to succeed were the things I did before I even entered the race," he said, referencing his business and creation of the People's Defense advocacy organization. "That set the groundwork and foundation to be integral, honest, trustworthy and a leader."

The tie and special election was a wake-up call for the Third Ward to become more involved in city government, Lovelady said last month. There is a push to get more voices not only onto boards and commissions, but at council meetings, he said.

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The message Lovelady shared with voters remained the same since the April tie: "Together, let's be the difference."

Lovelady will have a significant learning curve, Skala said after his loss Tuesday.

Mahree Skala smiles at her husband, Karl Skala, after reading early election results for Skala’s Columbia City Council Third Ward race Tuesday night. Roy Lovelady was declared the winner with 1,419 votes to Skala’s 1,269 to win the seat that Skala held for four terms.
Mahree Skala smiles at her husband, Karl Skala, after reading early election results for Skala’s Columbia City Council Third Ward race Tuesday night. Roy Lovelady was declared the winner with 1,419 votes to Skala’s 1,269 to win the seat that Skala held for four terms.

"It will take a little while for him to get up to speed," Skala said, adding Lovelady will have to be prepared to offer solutions to problems brought up at council meetings. "... We have a new city council with relatively new members.

"(They are) still finding their way as to how we cooperate reaching consensus and doing things in the best interest of most of the people in this community."

Had Skala secured a fifth term, he would have put his focus on affordable housing, transit and American Rescue Plan Act funding allocations, he said.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Please consider subscribing to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia City Council Third Ward; Lovelady bests Skala after April tie