By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Carl Gerlach was effectively re-elected today as Overland Park's mayor when no one filed to run against him.

And Unified Government Mayor Joe Reardon now faces opposition from one political unknown.

That likely means Reardon, who's had a pretty effective and energetic first term, essentially was re-elected today as well.

(His opponent will be school secretary LaTosha Moore-Fradieu, according to a Star news report.)

As for Gerlach, he's been no agent of change since his election in 2005, and he wasn't expected to be when he replaced longtime mayor Ed Eilert.

But I have to concede that -- as long as City Manager John Nachbar is really in charge of developing Overland Park's budget -- Gerlach's leadership skills or lack of them don't really matter that much.