To assist voters to make informed choices in the June 2 municipal election (rescheduled from April) and to accommodate those who wish to cast absentee ballots, the Leader will present its Voters Guide on its website. Each day, a new contested race or ballot issue will be posted at myleaderpaper.com.
Absentee voting for the June 2 election is open now. Absentee voters can cast their ballots at the Jefferson County Administration Center, 729 Maple St., Hillsboro, or by mail. The deadline to request a mail-in absentee ballot is May 20. To request a mail-in ballot or for other information concerning the election, call the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office at 636-797-5486.
Today, we focus on candidates for Arnold’s treasurer position and City Council seats. Tomorrow, a look at municipal races in Festus.
Daniel C. Kroupa faces the first opposition for Arnold city treasurer since he was first voted into the job in 2010.
The past four elections, Kroupa has drawn no opponents as he sought new two-year terms, but in the June 2 election, he’ll face a challenge from Tammy Fulbright, the wife of current Ward 1 Councilman Jason Fulbright.
The city typically has spirited races for seats on the City Council, but this year, only one of the four positions is contested.
In Ward 3, longtime council veteran Vern Sullivan chose not to run for another two-year term, so the seat is open and voters will choose one of three contenders to replace him: Michael D. Allen, Steven A. Buss or Rodney D. Mullins.
Sullivan has served seven terms on the council, from 1987 to 1997, and then from 2016 to this spring.
In Ward 1, EJ Fleischmann faces no opposition for a third term, nor do Brian McArthur (Ward 2) and Gary Plunk (Ward 4), who both will be sworn in to fourth terms.
Council members are paid $637 per month and the treasurer $253.57 per month.
CITY COUNCIL WARD 3
ALLEN, 67, lives at 114 Hickory Ridge Trail. He and his wife, Peggy, have one daughter and two granddaughters. He is a retired (optician and lab manager? He is a retired optician and lab manager.
A 1970 graduate of Fox High School, he attended some college classes.
In the mid-1970s, Allen worked for the city’s Street Department. His wife, Peggy, is the administrative assistant for the Arnold Parks and Recreation Department but plans to retire this summer.
BUSS, 64, lives at 72 Hickory Bluff Lane. He and his wife, Christy, have one child and two grandchildren. He recently retired after more than 43 years with the U.S. Postal Service, most recently as the postmaster in Imperial. He served for four years in the U.S Air Force.
A 1974 graduate of Cleveland High School in St. Louis, he has a certificate from the Community College of the Air Force in metals processing technology and also has taken a year of college courses.
MULLINS, 53, lives at 2859 Aquarius Drive. He and his wife, Heather, have two daughters. He is a senior continuous improvement manager at SSM Health.
He received a bachelor’s degree in production operations management from Southeast Missouri State University, a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University, a project management professional certification from the Project Management Institute, and a Lean Six Sigma certification from the University of Michigan.
What experience do you have that might serve you well in this position?
Allen: I served on the Rock Community Fire Protection District’s board from 1995-2006 and was its president. I am a past president of the Arnold Planning and Zoning board, I served on the first board of the Rock Township Ambulance District and am a past president of the Arnold Jaycees and a U.S. Jaycee senator.
Buss: The last 16 years of my postal career, I served as a postmaster in several different offices. Postmasters are responsible for the office’s finances, budget, scheduling of employees, customer service, human resources, safety, vehicle repairs, building maintenance, contracts and all other administrative duties. These duties and responsibilities gave me knowledge and understanding that will serve me well if I’m elected to this position.
Mullins: I have been president of the staff and parish committee and president of the Board of Trustees at my church, have been a member of the Fox C-6 Parent Advisory Council and have been a youth and high school club ice hockey coach.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Allen: ■ Public safety: We must continue to support and fund the Police Department by keeping violent St. Louis crime out of Arnold.
■ Safeguarding tax dollars: The council must be good stewards.
■ Maintain and improve our infrastructure.
Buss: With any city, one of the biggest problems is fiscal management. In recent times, businesses have been tasked annually to continue to do more with less, and a city government is no different. You have to face problems with good fact finding, review the facts from all perspectives and make a knowledgeable decision. Arnold recently made a decision to cut revenues this year for the golf course. I’m sure that decision was not made in haste, but it was a hard decision made after much consideration of the facts.
Mullins: The growth and/or sustainment of operating revenues that support our infrastructure and safety provided by our wonderful police, fire and EMS teams is extremely dependent on traditional retail methods. The marketplace and buying behaviors are changing quickly, as evidenced by the recent announcement of the closing of Gordman's. We must immediately begin to consider alternative partnerships in non-traditional methods. My creative and out-of-the-box thinking will bring new and innovative solutions to enhance declining revenue streams. I will improve transparency by initiating a quarterly "What's Happening" communication to every household in Ward 3.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Allen: Understanding of public safety and years of experience in spending tax dollars wisely (on fire and ambulance district boards) and understanding the city’s planning and zoning process.
Buss: I will continue to help this city grow by generating revenue through economic development, improving the infrastructure and protecting housing values through code enforcement. The city in recent years has installed sidewalks in areas that really needed them, giving people a safe place to walk. I'm a big fan of the sidewalk program and I want to ensure that programs like that continue.
Mullins: As a trustworthy and transparent leader, I will represent all residents equally by operating with strong moral values and full transparency. My professional background and experience in leadership, along with managing multimillion-dollar budgets, will allow me to bring fresh ideas as solutions to current challenges. I will openly challenge the status quo and encourage fiscal responsibility when considering new business ventures. I have a vested interest in the future of the city, so our children will want to stay here and others will consider making Arnold their home.
TREASURER
FULBRIGHT, 49, lives at 3443 Tenbrook Road. She is married to Ward 1 Councilman Jason Fulbright. She is the senior director for financial planning and treasury of Bi-State Development.
She received a master’s degree in business administration from Missouri Baptist University in 2007.
KROUPA, 69, lives at 2092 Kroupa Drive. He and his wife, Susan, have two children and four grandchildren. He is vice president of finance for JEDME Instrument Co.
He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1973 and an associate degree from Jefferson College in 1971.
What experience do you have that might serve you well in this position?
Fulbright: I am the Arnold Township Republican committeewoman and I am a licensed real estate broker. My broad experience in working with various groups of diverse individuals means I am able to work with people to get the job done.
Kroupa: I have been the city’s treasurer since 2010. I was a board member and treasurer for the Fox-C-6 Board of Education from 2013-2019. I am an advisory board member of Midwest Bank Centre and Carrollton Bank Advisory Board Member and coached CYC softball, volleyball and basketball coach from 1984-1996.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Fulbright: Declining sales tax revenues. Looking for budget savings and different sources of revenue without asking residents for more taxes would be my primary focus.
Kroupa: The financial support of the Police and Street departments. An area that needs to be addressed is money for the Stormwater Department so it can deal with the areas that need support with water runoff and detention areas. Through the budgeting process, I will ensure that the city’s money is spent wisely and that each department is provided with funding to enable them to provide efficient services.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Fulbright: I have more than 30 years of accounting and treasury experience. I am a certified treasury professional with the Association for Financial Professionals. I would like to see the city look for alternative revenue sources such as grants. Fiscally, I am very conservative and will work with the staff and administration to watch over the taxpayers' money.
Kroupa: My record as treasurer shows what I have helped accomplish. I helped negotiate the sale of the sewer system to Missouri American Water. I worked with the mayor to get a higher percentage of tax revenue from the county’s road tax fund, increasing the city’s revenue by $300,000 a year. I successfully lobbied the council to use part of the sewer sale proceeds to pay off the bonds on the golf course, saving $200,000 in annual debt service. I advise the city administrator and finance director regarding defeasing bonds. I serve on the TIF and Arnold Retail Corridor boards.