Otey alleges that Hill doesn’t meet the one-year ward residency requirement, pointing out he lists as his address a boarded-up home with no heat or electricity on North Euclid Avenue.

In response, Hill says he lives there some of the time depending on the weather and availability of money for his ongoing rehab work. He says he also rents a room in another home in the ward.

Gary Stoff, a city election board official, said a 2015 Missouri Court of Appeals ruling bars election authorities from ruling on a candidate’s qualifications and that challengers must file suit to get a court to decide.

Meanwhile, Arnold complained that Otey and Todd hadn’t paid all taxes due to the city when they filed for office. They have since done so. Otey said he had been unaware of the bill because it dealt with another property he owns and was mailed there, not to his home. The city collector of revenue’s office said Todd initially had incorrectly sent in his payment as part of his water bill payment.

City records indicate that back taxes are still owed by a company that owns the Euclid residence that Hill cited as his address.