Sheriff
For the first time in 24 years, Jefferson Countians will have a new sheriff in 2017. The race to succeed Oliver “Glenn” Boyer is between two experienced lawmen who work for him, Democrat Steve Meinberg, the second-ranking officer in the department, and Republican Dave Marshak, a group commander in the Sheriff’s Office.
Mr. Meinberg has 36 years in law enforcement, Mr. Marshak 22 years. Both have advanced steadily in their careers.
On balance, we believe Mr. Meinberg’s greater depth of experience, particularly on the administrative side, and his demonstrated community service make him the better candidate.
After beginning his career in the Crystal City Police Department when Sheriff Boyer was chief there, Mr. Meinberg served as a police chief in Nixa, Mo., near Springfield. When Mr. Boyer was elected sheriff in 1992, Mr. Meinberg returned to Jefferson County to serve as the undersheriff, the second-in-command in the department.
His responsibilities have included preparing and administering the $16 million Sheriff’s Office budget for 24 years, overseeing all departments within the department and serving as acting sheriff when the sheriff is away.
Mr. Meinberg’s record of community service is perhaps unmatched by any candidate in any race Nov. 8. He currently serves on the Jefferson College Board of Trustees, the Windsor C-1 Board of Education and the Jefferson County 911 board – all elected positions. An Air Force veteran, he has been active in veterans’ organizations, Rotary Club, Boy Scouts, Salvation Army and the COMTREA child advocacy center board, as well as a charter member of boards advising recently formed veterans court and adult drug court in Jefferson County.
Steve Meinberg is the classic definition of a public servant. He has experience in all phases of law enforcement from road patrol to detective to training at the FBI National Academy, as well as deep administrative experience. He is well prepared to take the reins.
Voters would do themselves and their county well by electing Steve Meinberg as their sheriff on Nov. 8.
State representative
District 113
State Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial) is seeking a second term over Democratic challenger Karen Settlemoir-Berg of Imperial.
Mr. Shaul, a director for the Missouri Grocers Association, a trade group, incurred the wrath of organized labor when he voted to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a bill to make Missouri a right-to-work state. His opponent is a union representative for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655.
There is no middle ground in this race. Mr. Shaul accepted a $75,000 campaign donation from Joplin businessman David Humphreys, who has donated millions to candidates who support right-to-work in Missouri. The energetic Ms. Settlemoir-Berg’s campaign is largely funded by donations from organized labor.
It’s a close call, but we believe Mr. Shaul, as a member of the majority party in Jefferson City, would be in the best position to represent his district. Mr. Shaul, an Air Force veteran, also has demonstrated admirable service as a member of the Windsor C-1 Board of Education, where he is in his second three-year term.
The Leader recommends that voters return state Rep. Dan Shaul for a second term.
State representative
District 112
Voters in the 112th District may have a sense of deja vu when they step into the voting booth Nov. 8. State Rep. Rob Vescovo (R-Arnold) is once again facing off with Democrat Robert Butler of Barnhart, as they did in 2014 for what was then an open seat.
Like in the 113th District, labor positions are stark in this race. Voters have a choice between pro-labor attorney Mr. Butler and Mr. Vescovo, who voted to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a right-to-work bill and who accepted a $175,000 contribution from the pro-right-to-work Humphreys family.
In 2014, the Leader endorsed Mr. Butler but the voters chose Mr. Vescovo. Since then, Mr. Vescovo has embraced local issues that show he is paying attention to what’s happening back home.
Reacting to the extended period of paid administrative leave granted to departing Fox school Superintendent Dianna Critchlow, Mr. Vescovo introduced a bill to set guidelines and limits for such pay.
He also sponsored a bill to require that bond sales be bid instead of negotiated, a practice that has been criticized by the state auditor in numerous audits of school districts and other tax-supported entities that spend our money.
These are not sexy issues, but they indicate Mr. Vescovo is capable and willing to walk the walk of fiscal conservatism in a way that benefits taxpayers.
Finally, as a member of the majority party, Mr. Vescovo is in a better position to represent his district and get things done in Jefferson City.
The Leader endorses state Rep. Rob Vescovo for re-election.
State representative
District 115
State Rep. Elaine Freeman Gannon (R-De Soto) is seeking a third term in the Missouri House of Representatives.
For the past four years, Ms. Gannon, a retired teacher, has been a near-perfect reflection of her district. She is a pro-labor though otherwise conservative representative who has shown she will work across the aisle with members of both parties.
Ms. Gannon is opposed by Barbara Stocker, a De Soto Democrat who is a member of the Jefferson College Board of Trustees. An intelligent, thoughtful woman who had a career in science with Monsanto, Ms. Stocker’s views do not reflect those of her adopted home district. She is a pro-choice, pro-Medicaid expansion progressive who might be a good candidate in the city of St. Louis or Webster Groves, but not in rural De Soto.
Ms. Gannon came to the Leader editorial board interview fresh from tromping in Joachim Creek with local, state and federal officials who are trying to put together a plan to alleviate flooding that has plagued the east side of De Soto in recent years. That excursion was typical of the commitment to constituent work and focus on local issues that Ms. Gannon brings to the job.
Voters in the 115th District should elect state Rep. Elaine Freeman Gannon to a third term in the Missouri House of Representatives.
Jefferson County assessor
The retirement of Assessor Terry Roesch leaves voters with the task of selecting a new county assessor, whose main function is to appraise and assess all real and personal property in the county equitably for the tax rolls.
The candidates are County Councilman Bob Boyer (R-Arnold) and Todd Melkus (D-Hillsboro), director of commercial real estate in the Assessor’s Office.
With his 10-plus years of experience working in a variety of roles in the Assessor’s Office, Todd Melkus is the obvious choice to succeed Mr. Roesch as assessor.
Mr. Boyer is a surveyor, a profession that has, at best, a thin connection to the assessor’s duties – they both deal with land.
By contrast, Mr. Melkus is a certified Missouri real estate appraiser, unlike Mr. Boyer. Mr. Melkus has had more than 400 hours of training and continuing education to keep his appraisal license current. At 33, he is a tech-savvy administrator who could comfortably navigate all corners of the Assessor’s Office from day one.
Mr. Melkus is experienced and familiar not just with appraisals, but the appeals process, including the county Board of Equalization and the State Tax Commission.
The office needs an even-handed professional assessor with the credentials and experience to do the job. Ten years of experience in the Assessor’s Office fills the bill.
The Leader endorses Todd Melkus to be the next assessor of Jefferson County.
Public administrator
Incumbent Steve Farmer (R-Imperial) is seeking a second term as Jefferson County public administrator. He is being opposed by former state Rep. TJ McKenna (D-Festus), a kindergarten and substitute teacher.
Mr. Farmer won the job in 2012 when he beat three-term incumbent Bruce King, a Democrat.
The public administrator’s job is one of the least-known in the courthouse. The main function is to take care of the financial and health care needs of incapacitated people declared by the probate court as not being able to do it themselves. The public administrator takes charge of those decisions and pays the bills if appointed as guardian and conservator for the person.
In his editorial board interview, Mr. Farmer demonstrated all the traits the public would want to see in a public administrator: knowledge of the office, enthusiasm for his job and compassion for the people put under his care.
Mr. McKenna has volunteered in a number of capacities with organizations that serve the disability community, but he does not make a convincing case to turn out Mr. Farmer.
In addition, Mr. Farmer has demonstrated an ability to work with the County Council, which holds purse string authority, to get two new positions approved to address an ever-increasing caseload of about 300 clients. Six staffers now work in the office.
Above all, the public administrator’s position is one of trust. The person in that office has control over the lives and finances of some of the county’s most vulnerable citizens.
By all accounts, Mr. Farmer, a Navy veteran, has met the test and met it well. Jefferson County voters would do well to return Steve Farmer for a second term as public administrator.
Treasurer
Jefferson County Treasurer Linda Nees is retiring, so county voters have a choice between former county Auditor Dorothy Stafford (D-Festus) and five-year Treasurer’s Office employee Paula Wagner (R-Festus).
While Ms. Stafford served faithfully as auditor for 20 years, she was turned out by voters in 2014, losing to current Auditor Richard Carter.
On balance, we believe Ms. Wagner, the chief deputy treasurer, has the best experience for the job.
Ms. Wagner has worked for the county since 1997, starting as a part-time housekeeper while she took accounting classes at Jefferson College. She worked for the county clerk from 1999 to 2005, when she was hired by Stafford to work in the Auditor’s Office before moving to the Treasurer’s Office in 2011.
The treasurer’s main responsibilities are writing checks in consultation with the Auditor’s Office, and investing the county’s excess funds. The treasurer oversees the bidding process for the county’s banking business every four years and provides receipts for all money that comes into the county.
Either candidate would do a fine job handling these responsibilities, but it’s difficult to make a case against the candidate who has five years of current experience in the office in favor of a candidate who was turned out of a different office by voters just two years ago.
Vote for Paula Wagner for county treasurer.
Jefferson County Council
District 2
Renee Reuter (R-Imperial) is one of the original members of the Jefferson County Council, having served six years.
Elected originally to a two-year term in District 2, Ms. Reuter is running for her second four-year term. Four times she has served as the council’s chairwoman.
She is running against Democrat Roger Hendrix of Arnold.
We give Ms. Reuter good grades for constituent service. She rose to the occasion in helping constituents who were flooded out by the Meramec River last December, coordinating relief efforts and literally getting her hands dirty in helping flood victims.
She also does a good job with community organizations, recognizing achievements of residents of her district and keeping those residents informed via meetings and other public appearances.
Mr. Hendrix, who acknowledged he was recruited to run for the job, is a retired federal mediator who has some skills that could be useful in the sometimes-fractious world of the County Council, but he didn’t display a passion for the job.
On the whole, Renee Reuter is the best choice for continued good constituent service for residents of District 2.
Jefferson County Council
District 4
With Councilman George Engelbach (R-Hillsboro) losing in the August primary election to Charles Groeteke (R-Barnhart), there is an open seat in District 4, though Mr. Groeteke served from 2010-2012 as a charter member before losing to Mr. Engelbach in the primary in 2012.
Mr. Groeteke is opposed by former state Rep. Jeff Roorda (D-Barnhart).
Two more different personalities are hard to imagine.
Mr. Groeteke, though not unfriendly, is a man of few words. He prefers to listen rather than speak, on a ratio of perhaps 200 to 1. In a way, it’s a refreshing and surprising trait in a politician.
Mr. Roorda, by contrast, is a lit Roman candle. His already high profile in this county as an outspoken scrapper was raised to a national level by the collision of his job as business manager of the St. Louis Police Officers Association with the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in August 2014. Mr. Roorda became the face of advocacy for police officers. He wrote one book and is at work on another.
His candidacy for the County Council brings an interesting wrinkle to the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the council, which has been testy on its good days and openly hostile on bad ones.
There will literally be a new sheriff in town in January, with the retirement of Oliver “Glenn” Boyer, and a chance to turn the page in the relationship. Boyer has aggressively opposed Council efforts to – in Mr. Boyer’s words – interfere in the operation of an independent agency by refusing to sign off on grant applications for activities such as DWI and seat belt checkpoints, or for equipment grants. Mr. Boyer maintained those were politically motivated actions that constituted meddling in law enforcement.
Mr. Roorda, who served 17 years as an officer and chief before getting into the police union business, would bring a point of view on police matters that isn’t there now.
We like the low-key Mr. Groeteke, but for his energy and police background, we’re recommending Jeff Roorda as councilman from District 4.
Jefferson County Council
District 6
Another County Council original, Cliff Lane (D-De Soto) is stepping down in District 6, having served six years since the formation of the Council.
The replacement options are Dan Stallman (R-De Soto), a retired Sheriff’s deputy, and Richard Henry (D-De Soto), a semi-retired employee of the Auto Plaza group.
Mr. Stallman did not respond to an invitation to meet with the Leader editorial board.
Mr. Henry is our choice, but not just a default choice. Mr. Henry has been involved in his community for decades, from serving on the De Soto Industrial Development Authority board to teaching for 12 years. His 30 years in the automotive business have kept him in contact with thousands of customers, many of whom live in his district.
He is interested in working for port development and correctly sees it as a potentially massive economic engine for Jefferson County.
Raised on a farm and living “in town” now, Mr. Henry offers an appealing understanding of both ways of life. District 6 has some of each, so it would be useful to have a representative who understands both.
District 6 voters should elect Richard Henry as their councilman.
Circuit judge Division 1
Longtime Circuit Judge Robert Wilkins retired in September at the mandatory retirement age of 70. Because his retirement came so close to the general election, the central committees of both parties had to nominate a candidate.
The candidates are Joe Rathert (D-High Ridge), who is the Jefferson County Municipal Court judge and an attorney in private practice, and Wes Yates (R-Hillsboro), who serves as the Jefferson County counselor.
Both men are emminently qualified, each with decades of law experience. They both have the temperament and mindset to take seriously the weighty responsibilities of being a judge.
The edge goes to Mr. Rathert, for his five years of experience as municipal judge. Though five years younger than Mr. Yates, Mr. Rathert has been a lawyer for six years longer than his opponent. Both men have admirable records of civic involvement, from Scouting to school board, park board and even aldermanic experience for Mr. Rathert.
We really feel voters can’t miss in this election, but only one man can serve, so we recommend Joe Rathert and his five years of bench experience to become the Division 1 circuit judge.
Circuit judge Division 3
The race for judge in Division 3 should be as one-sided as the race in Division 1 may be close. Incumbent Nathan Stewart (D-Hillsboro), seeking his second term as a circuit judge, is opposed by Dianna Bartels (R-Arnold), a lawyer with no experience on the bench and very little in a courtroom.
Judge Stewart cut his legal teeth at the well-respected Wegmann Law Firm in Hillsboro, as did his father before him and more than a half-dozen others who went on to become judges.
Ms. Bartels worked as an assistant attorney general from 2002-2005 and reported having one jury trial in that time. Her resume includes stints as a corporate attorney and sole practitioner working out of her home, which she does now.
A Hillsboro native, Judge Stewart has earned a reputation as a hard-working and compassionate judge. He started as a family court commissioner, then served as an associate circuit judge before being elected circuit judge in 2010.
The breadth of assignments make Judge Stewart the obvious choice to continue as circuit judge in Division 3.
Hard-boiled Republican partisans, determined to vote only for their party, need to take a breather when they get to this race. Judges deal with life-changing moments in people’s lives with every case. Even hard-boiled partisans have to go to court sometimes, and they will want the most competent judge possible when they do.
Nathan Stewart is the only feasible choice for judge in Division 3.
Circuit judge Division 5
This division was vacated in February when former Circuit Judge Lisa Page was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern Division.
Associate Circuit Judge Pat Riehl (D-Fenton) was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to fill Page’s unexpired term. She subsequently filed to run for a full six-year term. She is opposed by Vic Mellenbrink (R-Arnold), the prosecutor in the Jefferson County Municipal Court.
Judge Riehl served as a municipal court judge in Crystal City and De Soto before becoming commissioner of Jefferson County’s drug court in 2003. She ran successfully for associate circuit judge in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Mr. Mellenbrink serves as an adjunct instructor at the Jefferson College Law Enforcement Academy and worked as an assistant attorney general for two and a half years. He is a competent young attorney, but at 35, has no chance of matching Judge Riehl’s experience as a lawyer. He has no experience on the bench.
After being trained to operate specialty courts, Judge Riehl instituted a Veterans’ Court in Jefferson County to address the unique needs of veterans having problems readjusting to civilian life. She also instituted truancy courts in the Fox and De Soto school districts.
For her experience, her compassion for veterans and teens, Judge Pat Riehl should be retained as circuit court judge in Division 5.
Associate circuit judge
Division 13
When Associate Circuit Judge Pat Riehl was elevated to circuit judge in February, it created an opening in Division 13. Associate circuit judges typically handle preliminary hearings for felony cases, domestic cases such as divorces and all manner of misdemeanors. They also handle civil cases and small claims.
Katherine Hardy Senkel (R-Festus) defeated two other Republicans in the August primary to win her party’s nomination. She is opposed by Travis Partney (D-Imperial), a former assistant prosecuting attorney who was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to fill out Judge Riehl’s term. He was unopposed in the August primary election.
Ms. Senkel has worked in private practice for most of her 20-year law career. She has served as a guardian ad litem in juvenile, divorce and foster care cases. She has worked as a municipal court prosecutor and has experience in both criminal and civil law.
Ms. Senkel’s resume reads largely like an associate circuit court docket. They are lesser offenses generally – felony cases are not typically heard at the associate circuit court level – but the cases still have the potential to deeply affect the lives of the people standing in front of the judge.
Based on her time as a lawyer – 10 more years than her opponent – and her varied legal experience in and out of court, the Leader recommends Katherine Hardy Senkel as the next associate circuit judge in Division 13.