Politics & Government

Voters Guide: For Ladue, Frontenac, Crystal Lake Park, Huntleigh and Olivette

Everything you need to know before you go to the polls in our local communities.

On Tuesday, April 3, voters will go to the polls in St. Louis County to vote on a wide variety of candidates and in the case of the Ladue School District, Prop 1, a 49 cent tax levy on all homeowners.

A simple majority is required for passage.

PROPOSITION 1. The District wants to increase the operating property tax levy by 49 cents per $100 on assessed value. It says that it needs the increase to offset a $4.1 million reduction in revenue since 2007-08 and they will use the money to stabilize finances and keep the quality of education high.

Proponents say it could stabilize finances for four years, repurpose the Westminster Christian Academy into a fifth-grade center by the 1013-14 school year to alleviate overcrowding and avoid mobile classrooms, keep class sizes from increasing and give modest salary increases to staff.

They say the district has already made cuts, and it has 700 more students than it had in 2003. They also say that the recent property purchases were made from funds targeted for capital expenses, not operating ones.

Opponents question whether the purchase of property results in the need for a tax increase.

If approved, the tax rate increase would cost the owner of a $150,000 home an additional $139.65 per year in property taxes.

This is exactly how the proposition is worded on the ballot:

PROPOSITION 1
 
Shall the Board of Education of the School
District of the City of Ladue, St. Louis County,
Missouri be authorized to increase the
operating tax levy of the District by $0.49 per
one hundred dollars of assessed valuation for
the purpose of paying for costs of educational
programs, school supplies and equipment,
student transportation, employee salaries,
utilities, maintaining existing facilities, and
other operational expenses of the District and
to eliminate fully the sales tax reduction in its
operating tax levy for school purposes as
provided under Section 164.013 RSMo.?  If
this proposition is approved, the adjusted
operating levy of the District is estimated to be
$3.24 per one hundred dollars of assessed
valuation for each class of property.
 
YES
 
NO

Ladue School District. Meanwhile, three candidates are running for two open positions on the Ladue School District School Board.

Sheri Glantz, age 50 is an incumbent and present president of the board. She holds a masters in education from National Lewis University and is a music specialist at the Shirlee Green preschool. She has served on the school board since 2006.

Audrey Mack, age 47 is an incumbent and has a B.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in food science and nutrition. She is in sales and has served on the Ladue School Board since 2003.

Nancy Leve Goldstein, age 74 is a challenger. She has a Ph.D from Saint Louis University in education and is an academic support coordinator for Crossroads Prep School.

The City of Ladue

Ladue has an election in all three wards, and all candidates are running unopposed.

Ward 1. Charlie Hiemenz is an incumbent.

Ward 2. Walter G. Stern is an incumbent.

Ward 3. Harold R. “Hal” Burroughs is an incumbent.

City of Frontenac

Frontenac has three aldermanic races and none of the candidates in any of the three wards is contested.

Ward 1. Mike Schoedel, age 44 replaces John Wynne who is retiring. Schoedel has a Masters in Public Administration from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He is a project manager for business development for Apex Oil.

Schoedel brings a wealth of government experience to the board, having previously served as City Manager for Frontenac, Richmond Heights and Clayton.

Ward 2. Margot Martin is an incumbent.

Ward 3. Tom Hizar is an incumbent.

Crystal Lake Park

Mayor. Phillip Bryant, age 51 is running unopposed. He holds a J.D. degree from the Saint Louis University School of Law. He is an attorney and has served as an alderman in the 2nd Ward in Crystal Lake Park since 2008.

Ward 1. Kelly Larson is running unopposed.

Ward 2. Susan M. Kusama is running unopposed.

Huntleigh Manor

Mayor. F. Gilbert Bickel III, age 68 is running unopposed. He has a masters degree from the Saint Louis University School of Business and is a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Advisors. He has served as a Ward 2 Alderman from Huntleigh and has been mayor since 2002.

Ward 1. John Ryan is running unopposed.

Ward 2. Richard L. Nix, Jr. is running unopposed.

Marshal. Peter Von Gontard is running unopposed.

City of Olivete

Jean Antoine, the mayor of Olivette is running unopposed for an at large seat on the city council.

Find out what's happening in Ladue-Frontenacwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

St. Louis County voters will be asked to approve a measure to bring the St. Louis County Court House up to standards. This is how the measure will appear on the ballot,

St. Louis County Proposition S
Four-sevenths majority required

St. Louis County is requesting voters to approve general obligation bonds in the amount of $100 million to construct a new family court facility for $90 million and make improvements to the St. Louis County Civil Court building for $10 million. The passage of Proposition S will not increase taxes.  The current general obligation bonds approved by the voters in 1998 will be retired in 18 months.  The new bonds will take the place of the retiring bonds.

Court officials say the current 40-year old facilities are deemed inefficient due to unsafe environments, do not meet fire codes and violate state law by not providing separate areas for alleged perpetrators and victims. They were not built to accommodate the current electronic equipment and new improved, hazard-free air conditioning/ heating units. Current costs to maintain the buildings exceed $750,000 a year.

Find out what's happening in Ladue-Frontenacwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It  is anticipated the maintenance costs of the new facilities will be less as major repairs will be unnecessary.

Family Court Building staff  are situated in a variety of locations due to lack of space in the current facility.  Caseloads have increased dramatically to 103,000 in 2010 from 23,500 in 1970.

The Civil Court Building will be renovated to accommodate adequate electrical systems and make the facility safer.

Yes for the Measure

No for the Measue

Subdistrict 1 (1 seat)


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