One Chair Empty at Candidates' Forum

Local races are so darn hard to predict. There is no polling data to separate the front runners from the field.

Nothing seems to deter upstart candidate Mary Berner, candidate for the position as Ladue’s next mayor.

She’s worn out numerous pairs of shoes, knocking on some 2,000 doors and on the eve of the eve of the election she hosted a public ‘Meet the Candidates Form’ in the cafeteria at Ladue High Sunday afternoon. More than 50 residents showed up, many hoping to better understand the position of the airline pilot, turned candidate.

Make no doubt about it, Berner is the outsider, seeking the position from veteran council member Anthony “Tony” Bommarito. Berner wanted this meet up to be a discussion between the two contenders. She issued an invitation to Bommarito who declined, and also declined alternative dates. When asked by a member of the audience why Bommarito was not there, she said he said: “My campaign literature will speak for itself.”

Berner even set a chair for Bommarito and left him a fresh bottle of water...just in case he had a change of heart.

The audience grilled Berner about her positions, mostly on her views of the pension fund, and the staffing of the fire houses and the call dispatch center.

Let there be no doubt, if elected one of Berner’s goals would be tightening the budget while producing more revenue for the city.

She is disturbed that all hires for the city are vested in the pension fund on their first day of work. “I talked with the fire chief (Ted Jury) and he said that many of his men have moved onto other fire districts. Asked why “They are getting paid more,” said Berner. Jury estimated that it takes $7,000 to train each new hire. She pointed out that new firemen have to have extensive map training, just learning all the crooks and bends in the roads getting around Ladue.

Berner claimed the city has six full time employees and a higher paid supervisor in the call center, each making $60,000 per year plus benefits plus pension rights. “I don’t know why we can’t consider joining one or the other nearby call centers (West County Dispatching Center for Frontenac, Creve Coeur and Town and Country) or the East Central Dispatch Center for Clayton, Richmond Heights, Maplewood, University City, Olivette,Webster Groves and Shrewsbury.

In Ladue there is often one dispatcher on duty at a time. Raising her hands, “I don’t know who covers the call when the dispatcher has to go to the bathroom. In the other centers, there are five people on duty at a time, plenty to handle multiple calls.

Berner has done her homework and is immersed in the budget. She would look at future budgets line by line. First thing she’d do if the contract is not signed is cancel a planned $50,000 economic study for the city. She already knows the Lammert Center is going into bankruptcy and there are plenty of vacancies along Clayton Road. “Some say its not the mayor’s duty to recruit businesses to Ladue but I think it is,” said Berner.

More than one member of the audience raised issues about the solvency of the public employees pension fund for Ladue. One gentlemen, well versed in best business practices said if Ladue heads down the same road, the pension fund could be in serious  jeopardy going forward. He said that most public employee pension funds are out of favor, and need to be replaced by employees participating 401K plans, exactly what exists in the public sector.

Berner pointed out that reserves are so low in Ladue’s pension fund, that the city has been placed on the states “watch list.” “I don’t see Town and Country or Frontenac or Brentwood on this list. If people knew about this in Ladue,” they’d be embarrassed,” said Berner.

The campaign for mayor in Ladue ends at 7 p.m. Tuesday night. Mary Berner, the so called newcomer has made this into a very lively discussion.