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 Jefferson County 911 Dispatch Board of Directors. Tomorrow, profiles of candidates for the Jefferson County Health Department will be posted.
An ongoing court battle over how much tax money Jefferson County 911 Dispatch can collect overshadows elections on June 2 for the chairman and the Second District seat on the agency’s Board of Directors.
In August 2019, voters approved the collection of the agency’s 1/2-cent sales tax, which otherwise was due to be cut in half through a sunset clause when voters originally agreed to institute the tax in 2009.
However, state Sen. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, added an amendment to a state 911 law that blocks the Jefferson County agency from collecting more sales taxes than 1/4-cent.
In August, the state Department of Revenue said it would begin collecting the lower amount. A temporary restraining order issued by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Joe Rathert directs the state to continue collecting the higher amount. A hearing to decide whether to make that order permanent will be heard in Cole County Circuit Court; a date has not yet been set.
The seven-member 911 board includes a chairman, who is elected countywide, and three seats each from District 1, which generally includes the western half of the county and Arnold, and District 2, the eastern half south of Arnold.
John M. Scullin, who has been on the board since 2008 and was elected chairman in 2016, is running for a second four-year term. He is challenged by Jeremy Day, who has run two unsuccessful campaigns for Jefferson County Clerk.
The District 2 seat, also a four-year term, pits incumbent David Kennedy against challenger Michael D. McElrath.
Incumbent John Mayer is running unopposed for another four-year term representing District 1 and will not appear on the ballot.
Board members are not paid.
CHAIRMAN
SCULLIN, 48, lives at 321 Margies Way in De Soto. He and his wife, Tammie, have two children and three grandchildren. He is a sales manager for Demers Ambulances.
He earned certifications as an emergency medical technician from Jefferson College in 1989 and as a paramedic from Jefferson College and St. Louis University in 1991.
DAY, 33, lives at 3864 Country Club Drive in Imperial. He and his wife, Julie, have two children. He has been a service technician for 20 years, the last 13 with GE Appliances.
He is a 1996 graduate of Eureka High School.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Scullin: I have spent my entire adult life as a public servant in emergency services. I have been on the 911 board since 2008 (current chairman, vice chair from 2008-2016). I was a board member and chairman of the Jefferson County Health Department from 2007-2019 and a lieutenant and volunteer firefighter for the De Soto Rural Fire Protection District. I am a licensed EMT-paramedic. I am a member of the Shekinah Masonic Lodge in Crystal City.
Day: I am president of the Jefferson County Pachyderm Club. I ran for Jefferson County Clerk in 2014 and 2018, am sergeant of arms for the Festus American Legion and member of the Big River Friends of the NRA Committee and the blue-ribbon committee for a new jail and courthouse.
What are the biggest problems facing the agency and how would you address them?
Scullin: My priority is to defend the funding structure from the Special Legislation and overreach created by the State Legislature targeting our sales tax continuation. In April 2019, the voters of Jefferson County overwhelmingly approved the continuation of a sales tax to fund our accredited 911 center, but a senator decided that 71 percent of the voters were wrong. We continue to fight for public safety and the voters by challenging this special legislation, taking the state to court. Our 911 center is accredited and recognized as a leading center in the state and nation.
Day: The biggest issue is always working with the great first responders all around the county. As a backbone to all these organizations, it raises a few questions. As population increases and shift into other areas of the county, can the 911 District adapt to this? Can the district adjust to the new call volume as more folks move out to Jefferson County? Will the board and chairman be willing to make changes with the growth along I-55 and Hwy. 30? I am not sure.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Scullin: Under my leadership, our board, administration and staff do an outstanding job protecting the residents and first responders in Jefferson County. The post of chairman requires emergency service experience, and I have 30 years of public safety and emergency service knowledge. A seat leading the agency that is the first line of public safety in Jefferson County should be filled by a public safety professional, not a politician. My goals are to secure our funding structure and to continue providing a state-of-the-art center.
Day: Being in the servicing and logistics industry for 20 years and my experience as president of another organization would serve the 911 district well. Every board needs turnover at some point. I believe it’s time for that to happen in 911.
What is your stance on the agency’s sales tax extension, approved by voters in April 2018, and the ongoing legal fight to keep collecting it?
Scullin: These funds are needed to continue to provide the best 911 and radio system services possible. We will aggressively defend the will of the voters who overwhelmingly voted yes to continue our sales tax to fund the agency. 911 technology is not inexpensive, and if the special legislation goes forward, those funds will not be available. If our sales tax is rolled back, the funds to continue operating at our current level will need to come from somewhere, and the entities we serve do not have those funds in their budgets. I will continue to protect the 911 infrastructure.
Day: The only comment I have on this issue is that the district will be fine whether they win or lose this suit. People should not panic, as this has been all overblown.
SECOND DISTRICT
KENNEDY, 75, lives at 2015 The Woods Circle in Barnhart. He and his wife, Diane, have a son and a granddaughter. He is a retired analyst for a major consulting firm and was an officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1966-1986. He is spending his retirement as a volunteer.
He earned a master’s degree in political science in 1983 from Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1966 from Miami University.
McELRATH, 49, lives at 543 Amber Way Court in Imperial. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters. He is the police chief of Kimmswick and has been a police officer for more than 20 years. He also works at the Veterans Administration regional office in Overland. He served 29 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, 11 years as an officer.
He has a master’s degree in management and leadership from Webster University, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia College and an associate degree from Lewis and Clark Community College. During his 29 years in the Army, he took course on military policing, leadership and anti-terrorism.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Kennedy: For five years beginning in 2002, I introduced congregations and organizations in Jefferson County to a concept called Interfaith Hospitality Network to provide temporary housing for homeless families. I also am on the board of the Jefferson County Rescue Mission in Pevely. I established Random Acts of Kindness, a group of people providing anonymous help to people in need.
McElrath: I have been a police officer in Jefferson County for more than 20 years and was in the U.S. Army for 29 years, where I was a military police officer, company commander and anti-terrorism officer. As operations and accounts manager at Allied Universal Security for seven years, I managed 130 employees and 25 contracts, including two that required security clearances. I served on the board of Public Water Supply District C-1 from 2010-2017.
What are the biggest problems facing the agency and how would you address them?
Kennedy: In April 2019, 71 percent of the county’s voters approved a continuation of the tax supporting 911. Four months later, the State Legislature passed a bill that, in effect, said that Jefferson County voters were wrong. Their bill said that the sales tax could not continue at the voter-approved rate. This is another case of state government overreach. And so, as the board of 911, we have taken the state to court and we will continue to pursue the right of the voters to have their voices honored.
McElrath: Retention of existing and new dispatchers is one of the biggest issues. I have spoken with (911 Chief) Travis Williams about the issue and he is very aware of the situation. It is a complicated issue due to the high stress and long hours. I would like to work with the board on finding a solution. Like most complex and difficult problems, it is very hard to say I have the correct solution without all of the information.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Kennedy: More than 10 years ago, I was elected to the board. I have business and strategic planning experience. The board includes a good mix of four public safety experts and three other residents. Each bring a special perspective. I helped 911 produce a community-based vision and laid out specific tasks that we could accomplish to achieve that vision. The district has achieved that first set of visioning and has set the second phase, again produced by seeking community input.
McElrath: Between my experience and knowledge of emergence services and the knowledge obtained in my master’s degree in management I hope to provide the Board with a good balance of experience and education. My goals are simple: I want to learn the agency’s processes and work to make them more efficient and cost-effective.
What is your stance on the agency’s sales tax extension, approved by voters in April 2018, and the ongoing legal fight to keep collecting it?
Kennedy: I and other directors testified in Jefferson City regarding the proposals that the legislature was considering at that time. We vehemently talked to legislators and committees about what the voters of this county had decided in April, months before 71 percent of the county voters said yes. Apparently, the legislators thought they knew better than you. We disagree. We have taken the state to court, standing up for what you decided in April 2019.
McElrath: The constituents voted to retain the tax and their votes should be enough to maintain the current rate. No elected official should be able to silence voters by attaching a rider to an existing piece of legislation after constituents have elected to maintain a tax that supports such a vital function.