1. What is the extent of your education?
Graduated Columbia High School in 1987, Graduated SIU-E - 1991 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a specialization in Management
2. How long have you lived in Columbia? If not a lifelong Columbia resident where did you grow up and where did you live right before you moved to Columbia?
I was born and raised in Columbia. In 1996 I was trasferred to Jopin, Mo and in 2000 we moved back to Columbia. My family moved to the area in 1837 after immigrating to the U.S from Hanover, Germany in 1831 and originally settling in Ohio before moving to New Hanover, Il and the Columbia area.
3. Do you feel that the length of time you or your family has lived in Columbia makes you a better candidate than someone else? Why is this continually an election talking point? Many residents of Columbia, my family included, do not have deep rooted family trees in Columbia, is their opinion worth less to you when compared to others who have lived here for generations?
I do not feel the length of time a family has been here makes a difference in the canidates. I believe it is mentioned because of the pride we have in our past generations for building such a wonderful community to live in today. I believe it is brought up because many feel it shows dedication to the community and a will to do the best we can to continue our legacy of quality of life and a vibrant community. I feel that the experience brought to the community from those who chose to be a first generation Columbian is extremely valuable. We all need to not only understand the communities history but how the community is viewed and why people chose to move here. It is important to have experience of those who have lived elswhere and learn from those experiences to keep growing our community in the best possible manner. Liiving in the Joplin/Webb City area for 4 years taught me alot about the quality of life and services that other communities have to offer. I was able to learn everything from the importance of building codes and materials to the aspects of successful and not so successful commercial development and how it affected the residents.
4. What is your occupation? How will it affect your serving on the city council?
I have worked for Walgreens since 1988. I am currently a Community Leader Store Manager. I manage one store and have been assigned 5 other St. Louis stores to assist in supervising, mentoring the manager, training and personel issues. My job responsibilities will have little affect on my ability to serve on the city council. My job enables me to bring my experiences with budgeting, personel, sales, training and human resouces to the job as alderman.
5. Does your occupation make you a good candidate to serve as chairmen of any present city council committees? I feel my business and personel skill set will enable me to serve on any of the committees.
6. How have you gathered your information regarding issues facing the city? I have gathered my information from conversations with current aldermen, the mayor, department heads, city emplyees, family and residents of columbia.
7. How many city council meetings have you attended in the last year? Two years? During my two year term as alderman I attended all but a couple due to being out of town and I have been to a number of meetings since but do not recall how many.
8. If you support commercial growth in Columbia what specifically will you do to make that a reality? What types of commercial entities do you feel Columbia needs the most?
I do support commercial growth in Columbia. To make this a reality we need to work with the economic development coordinator and the local businesses to determine first of all how we can support local business and then bring in complimentary business growth that will benefit both the new business and the existing business. I would like to see the firms that Maverick, Budnick and a number of other large employers need for their businesses to move here to be able to build areas of partner businesses which could help with logistics and money savings to make these businesses stronger and help with their possible expansions in our area. This type of complimentary business growth would positively affect everyone including bringing in jobs and strenghtening our current businesses. I feel additional retail, restaurants, office and professionial buildings would be a good start.
9. Does commercial growth belong in the bottoms in light of the current issue facing the certification of the levy? If the levy issue is resolved do the bottoms become a good place for development? Why or why not?
I feel that once the issues of the levy system is resolved that the bottoms are the most ogical place for commercial growth. Columbia sits in a unique location by a major highway to transports, people and goods on without bringing that traffic through our residential areas and downtown. The natural barrier of the bluffs and location of that property seperates that type of growth from our residential areas. The traffic on 255 is such that would support retail and restaurant types of businesses combined with easy access to south county and the city of St. Louis.
10. Alderman Stumpf has proposed the idea of having an economic development committee in order to field questions, comments, and ideas regarding any economic development opportunities that may present themselves to the city a number of times over the last year. Would you support this idea? Why or why not?
We have an economic development coordinator whose job is do do just that. If we support this position and empower him to do his job as such there is no need to duplicate these duties. The planning commission also works in this capacity.
11. What types of incentives if any do you support to attract development to Columbia? Get specific, developers will know what they want.
Each incentive package is widely different. Any support of an incentive package must have the best interest of the city, schools and taxpayers formost. Incentive packages can be fashioned to benefit all parties and help the business offset infrastructure costs. The city's interests must be first and formost in any incentive package.
12. Do you support the annual 4.99% increase in Columbia’s tax levy? Is this an “ethical” practice to the community and its residents?
The 4.99% increase is not a tax increase however it is a revenue increase. The 4.99% increase is an increase in the amount of property tax dollars, not percentage tax rate that the citizens pay. This is an increase in the amount of tax dollars which the city can receive from the property tax dollars colloected which is based on the equalized assessed value of all property, both commercial sn residential within the city of Columbia. Each year the city is allowed to request an increase of 4.99% of those dollars without a truth in taxation hearing. In a growing community like Columbia, the EAV grows at a higher rate than the 4.99%. When this higher growth rate happens the end result is more money for services to constituents without increasing the tax rate to those same constituents. My opponent is opposed to this 4.99% increase but does not have a plan to replace those lost dollars which will force a reduction in city services decreaseing the quality of life in Columbia. Every year I will look at the financial situation of the city and determine if this 4.99% increase is necessary. Quality of life is one of my largest concerns This type of increase, in some years, is necessary to keep Columbia one of the most desirable place to live in the metro area.
13. Should the city vehicle sticker tax be re-instated? Why or why not?
This tax revenue is gone and I do not believe will ever be re-instituted. The lost revenue for the projects that this tax funded must be made up elsewhere or these projects cancelled due to the lost revenue. The city sticker tax has always been a widely debated tax and the projects it funded were not widely known. Most people did not know where the money went and were happy when the stickers were no longer required.
14. Should city departments be allowed to carry their budgeted balances over yearly, rather than the end of year balance rolling back to the general fund? Why or why not?
The city operates as one unit and not a group of independent businesses. All departments must be fiscally responsible at all times with the best interest of the city as a whole at heart. They are all working out of the same checkbook so at the end of the year those departments that have operated within or under their budget contribute to the financial well being of the city and the ability to operate with a stronger budget the following year.
15. Do you support the fire department merging with the rural fire district? How will the merger improve the department for city and rural residents? Does it benefit the city?
I have had a number of conversations with Mike Roediger and members of the fire department. We discussd the benefits and their desire to become a district. This is a question for the voters to decide. Our current city council supported the measure being put on the ballot and it comes down to the vote of the citizens. With the merger we will receive the same fire protection we currently are getting except the fire department will be run by a board instead of managed by the city. The department will be its own taxing body and control their own tax levy into the future. The benefit is to be seen if the measure passes and how the department if run and managed into the future.
16. Will you vote for aldermen to receive a pay increase again in the next election cycle in light of the budget issues we face as a city?
I do not feel the job is about the money.
17. Are there any pressing issues facing Columbia in regards to infrastructure you feel should be immediately addressed, other than the road by McDonald's leading past Firestone on the way to the Post Office?
We have an aging water and sewer infrastructure that must be continuously updated to avoid issues. One of my biggest concerns is when we outgrow the current city lagoon and need to expand or replace the current facility. This is going to be a large expense when we get to this point and we must be making plans for this.
18. Do you feel my questions are biased towards any one line of thinking or candidate in particular?
I feel the questions are consistent and fair. I do not feel they are slanted in any way towards one side or the other.
For Challenging Candidates
1. What compels you to run for city office? Do you have higher ambitions in politics?
I am compelled to run for office out of my love for the city. The city of Columbia was a great place to grow up and raise a family. We have a great culture and a wonderful quality of life. I feel we need to manage and balance our growth both commercial and residential to continue to have a very high quality of life. We must continue to expand our sales tax revenue base and continue to increase our commercial EAV revenues with controlled development to continue to fund the city and our schools. We need to capture the sales tax dollars being spent in surrounding communities by offering additional shopping and service choices in Columbia. I have a very large interest in maintaining our city services and programs while adding as little burden upon the citizens through taxation as possible. We need to develope a city council that can work together to solve the issues our city faces now and in the future.
2. Have you met with other candidates or community groups to discuss issues and the upcoming election? If so which ones?
I have met with many other groups and a number of other canidates in preparation for this election season.
3. Were you brought up to speed regarding city issues by any certain people?
I have spoken with many in city government including department heads, city employees, commissoners and volunteers.
4. Are you a “member” of Progress for Columbia? Did PFC or any of its members assist you in your candidacy in any way?
Yes I am a member of PFC, Columbia Kiwanis Club, St. Paul United Church of Christ, Columbia Sportsmans and Midwest Workforce Investment Board. I have had support and assistance with my campaign from many of these groups and organizations. I have received strong support based on my many years of community service and my willingness to think out of the box and listen to the needs of others.
5. Have you ever met with or discussed issues facing the city with your aldermen? Specifically the one you may be running against? If not, why? If yes, did you find that conversation satisfactory?
No. After the last election and we had an apparent difference of opinoins on many of the issues facing the city. I spent 4 weeks reviewing the minutes of every concil meeting for the last four years. His voting record does not support the opinions and statements that he has been giving to the constiuents in our ward. I have spoken to numerous constituents who have spent years trying to get my opponent to return a call to discuss issues they have.
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