A pair of Republicans with experience in elected office, Tracey Perry and Terry Varner, are running in the Aug. 7 primary election for the District 5 seat on the Jefferson County Council.
Perry is a current member of the Jefferson R-7 Board of Education and Varner served a two-year term on the St. Charles County Council.
The winner of the August election will face Democrat Dan Darian of the De Soto area in the November general election.
Darian was appointed to the council in late December to serve the final year of the four-year seat held by Jim Kasten, who resigned after he said his effectiveness was reduced in the face of clashes between the council and County Executive Ken Waller.
District 5 covers Festus, Crystal City, Herculaneum, Pevely and the Jefferson R-7 area.
Council members are paid $10,978 per year.
PERRY, 50, lives at 412 Huntington Trails Drive, in Festus. She and her husband, Kevin, have two children. She is the director of social services for Festus Manor Nursing Home. She has also been a case manager for Jefferson Memorial Hospital and a substitute teacher for the Festus R-6 School District. She has more than 20 years of experience in the social work field. She retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service in 2007.
She has an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree in social work, and a master’s degree in human resource management as well as having completed several courses in the military.
She was elected in 2017 to the Jefferson R-7 Board of Education. She has been an educational site supervisor for area colleges since 2017, a Mastodon Science and Arts Fair volunteer since 2012 and a Jefferson R-7 Boosters member since 2016. She also was a founding board member of Project COPE and was a Cub Scout den leader.
Social media: Facebook: Perry4district5 YouTube: Tracey Perry for County Council, Jefferson County Missouri 2018
VARNER, 71, lives at 3329 Magnolia Lane, Festus. He and his wife, Jackie, have six children and 10 grandchildren. He is a retired firefighter for the Creve Coeur Fire Protection District. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He is a graduate of Cahokia High School and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He is a member of the Hawthorn Hills Homeowners Association, a trustee of the American Legion, and a member of First United Methodist Church of Festus-Crystal City. He served two years on the St. Charles County Council and has been on the St. Peters Police Advisory Board, St. Charles County Planning and Zoning Commission, St. Charles County Emergency Planning Committee and is a member of the VFW.
Social media: Website: www.terryvarner.com
What specific needs exist in your County Council district, and how would you address them?
Perry: Growth! District 5 is very diverse with a large rural area to go with its municipalities. Much industry has left and our county needs to find ways to attract new businesses. We need to cut the red tape for new businesses, make smart, common-sense building codes and establish taxation and regulatory environments that make Jefferson County a magnet for new business. Jefferson County’s building codes need to be welcoming to new construction and we need to make it easy to establish a business and a county government that is business- and resident-friendly.
Varner: Communication. The district has had no communication from its representatives until election time comes around. I will have town hall meetings to hear about the residents’ needs and concerns and do more long-range planning instead of responding to problems of growth after the fact.
What grade would you give the current County Council and why? What improvements would you make?
Perry: I would not be running for the council if I thought they were “C” or better. The council is gridlocked and has forgotten the public they serve. Not on an individual level. Quite the contrary, there are some solid, dedicated servants on the council, but as a whole their animus towards the County Executive has overshadowed everything. I am all about relationships, compromise and looking forward, not backward. The county needs somebody just like me to help restore the trust between the County Executive and the council.
Varner: D-plus. The feuding between the council and county executive has been not only embarrassing to us in the county but also in the region. With the election, new faces will be seen and hopefully decorum will be the norm. I plan to represent my district’s needs, but I am willing to look at the other viewpoints and agree to disagree with civility. That’s what the residents of Jefferson County want and deserve.
How will you vote on the internet sales tax proposal and why?
Perry: Nobody likes more taxes. Everybody wants to be fair. My job on the council will be to weigh “fair” for all concerned and vote my conscience once I have all the information. June’s Supreme Court decision was a game-changer. Internet sales taxes are coming. We need to get in front of it, and make common-sense decisions that allow local businesses to compete on a level playing field and protect consumers from new taxes. I will work to ensure that no greedy politician tries to use this new Supreme Court decision to raise your taxes.
Varner: As someone who is against more taxing just to increase government services and putting an undue burden on taxpayers, I don’t like it. The county needs to live within its means. The municipal governments need to make their own decisions on the tax, so I say no to the internet tax.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Perry: I am a consensus builder and will bring collegiality back to the council. We need to grow our county and be proactive in combating the drug epidemic and other social problems that are affecting our families and our businesses. I want to rebuild a council that focuses on real problems and to help build a Jefferson County where families and businesses thrive. I want to build excellent communication with business owners and assist with cutting through the red tape that is preventing growth. I want to assist with keeping our county safe from all threats – environmental, financial and social.
Varner: Jefferson County has been a great place to live and raise a family. The reason I’m running is to protect that quality of life. I want our children and grandchildren to grow up with good schools, safe neighborhoods and fine parks. I’m concerned with protecting our tax dollars from waste and abuse. I want to attract good-paying jobs to Jefferson County that offer benefits to employees, not just minimum wage.