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 the Eureka Board of Aldermen. Tomorrow, profiles of candidates for the Arnold City Council.
Eureka residents in all three wards will make decisions in the June 2 municipal election about who will represent them on the city’s Board of Aldermen.
However, Bob Berry will not be one of the choices. After serving for 33 years as an elected official in Eureka, Berry decided not to run for another two-year term as Ward 1 alderman.
Berry was elected mayor in 1995 and kept the post until 2003, when he won election to the board. Except for one year (2007), he’s been a constant presence.
With the seat open, Jerry Diekmann and Brian Smith have filed to succeed Berry.
Diekmann did not return a Leader candidate questionnaire.
Ward 2 also has seen some changes. The annexation of the Windswept Farms subdivision and adjacent parcels means June will be the first time that Jefferson County residents will vote in a Eureka municipal election. In Ward 2, incumbent Brian Kiefer is facing a challenge for a second term from Kevin Kilpatrick.
Ward 3 also features an incumbent trying for a second term, Jerry Holloway, but he faces a challenge from Brian Johnson.
Holloway did not return a Leader candidate questionnaire.
Aldermen are paid $200 per regular meeting (two are held each month) plus $50 for any special meeting attended. They also are paid an expense allowance of $200 per month.
WARD 1
SMITH, 25, lives at 787 Top Notch Lane. He is single. He is an assistant manager at the McDonald’s Restaurant in Eureka.
He received an associate degree from St. Louis Community College-Wildwood in 2016.
What experience do you have that might serve you well in this position?
Smith: I have experience volunteering in and around the city during the floods. I worked alongside Pastor Tim Schulte, chairman of the Eureka Disaster Relief Committee, evacuating families, sandbagging and cleaning and repairing homes. I have also done mission work around the country and abroad during my 21 years as a member of The River at Eureka.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Smith: ■ Flooding. The mayor is moving in the right direction with this issue.
■ Vacant commercial property, which can be resolved by inviting businesses aimed toward youth as there are no recreational activities for kids in Eureka besides sports.
■ A lack of sidewalks. If you drive around, you’ll notice only Wards 2 and 3 have sidewalks. Ward 1 is separated from the rest of the city and itself and people feel unsafe walking along Fifth Street.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Smith: I am a fresh pair of eyes, a new younger perspective. My goals are:
■ To see the progression of flood control and relief work, particularly along Fifth Street.
■ The filling of our many vacant commercial properties, preferably with businesses geared towards youth.
■ The addition of sidewalks to Ward 1 so that residents may safely walk or bike in our ward like they can in the rest of Eureka.
WARD 2
KIEFER, 60, lives at 117 Hickory Hill Drive. He is single and has two children and two grandchildren. He is a retired union carpenter after 30 years, 22 years of which he worked with his family business, Kiefer Construction Co.
A member of the Class of 1977 of Lafayette High School, he graduated in 1983 from the St. Louis Union Carpenters School.
KILPATRICK, 57, lives at 811 Williams Drive. He and his wife, Tina, have two daughters. He has worked in administration and sales at Richards Roofing and Exteriors, Inc. in Kirkwood for 21 years.
He received an associate degree in communications from St. Louis Community College in 1984.
What experience do you have that might serve you well in this position?
Kiefer: I have been the Ward 2 alderman since 2018 and have served on the Eureka Planning and Zoning Commission for 11 years. I have attended public meetings since 2005, am a past president of the Eureka Historical Society, a member of the Eureka Lions for 10 years (a board member for seven years) and a member of the Eureka-Pacific Lions for eight years.
Kilpatrick: I served two terms as a trustee of the Deer Run Estates subdivision. My volunteer work includes more than five years at what is now the World Bird Sanctuary and eight years coaching girls soccer.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Kiefer: ■ Water: Continued improvement.
■ Infrastructure: Road maintenance and upkeep by working with the Missouri Department of Transportation. All infrastructure as needed.
■ Flooding: Allenton bridge and government center, by supporting Proposition E and working to get it done.
■ Vacant storefronts: Work with city grown and seek out businesses to bring them to Eureka.
Kilpatrick: Flooding has been a primary concern. I have been working to promote stronger ordinances to restrict floodplain development in unincorporated St. Louis County. I also am working to help raise awareness to maintain Jefferson County’s new floodplain ordinance, which can be erased by future annexations.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Kiefer: Experience, hard work, dedication and community involvement. My goals are continued involvement to work for Proposition E goals, work for a strong city budget and fiscal responsibility and to believe in a great city.
Kilpatrick: I will continue protecting floodplain, as I have for more than 20 years. I hope to encourage more public participation in city affairs by upgrading our live streams, including planning and zoning meetings. I would also hope to promote sensible growth, using existing commercial space as much as possible.
WARD 3
JOHNSON, 51, lives at 1 Fairway Estates Court. He and his wife, Deborah, have two children. He is a manager of the medical imaging department at Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University in 1992.
What experience do you have that might serve you well in this position?
Johnson: I have been a healthcare manager for more than 20 years. I am a former board member of the Eureka Soccer Association and a former coach for at group and Sacred Heart Church. I am the president of the St. Louis Mini Cooper Club.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Johnson: A big problem, but an opportunity, is the recent growth in size and population. Both of these present challenges to infrastructure, schools and the small-town feel.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Johnson: I would like to make sure Eureka’s growth is done in a way with positive changes, such as keeping our small-town atmosphere with the influx of new families and businesses.