The question of who will be Jefferson County’s second county executive will be settled on Nov. 6, as businessman Dennis Gannon of De Soto, a Republican, will square off against Democrat Jeff Roorda of Arnold, a former state representative and union representative.
Jefferson County voters in 2008 approved a charter form of government, and it was phased in over the next couple of years, with County Executive Ken Waller and a seven-member County Council taking office in January 2011.
Over the last couple of years, relations between Waller and council leadership have been strained, and Waller announced last summer that he would not seek a third four-year term. Later, he announced that he would run for county clerk.
The county executive is paid a salary of $83,178.
GANNON, 63, lives at 5226 Hwy. H in De Soto. He and his wife, state Rep. Elaine Freeman Gannon, have two children. He has worked for his family’s business since high school, which has included a cafeteria, hotels, shopping center developments and commercial real estate projects. He also co-owns buildings in the Gannon Regional Shopping Center in Festus. He earned an associate degree and a certificate in business management from Jefferson College and a bachelor’s degree from Tarkio College. He has been on the boards of Mercy Hospital Jefferson, Mercy Hospital East Region and First State Community Bank and is a member of the Festus Rotary Club and the First Baptist Church of De Soto, where he served as building committee chairman.
He served in the U.S. Naval Reserves, the U.S. Army Retired Reserves and the Missouri National Guard and was the commander of the 1221st Transportation Company.
He is a past president of the Jefferson College Board of Trustees, Jefferson County Port Authority and De Soto Rotary Club and was chairman of the Jefferson Regional Medical Center board. He served on the De Soto Board of Education from 2007-2015, serving for a time as its vice president. He also was vice president of the De Soto Chamber of Commerce.
Social media: Website: Gannonforjeffersoncounty.com Facebook: dennisgannonforcountyexecutive
ROORDA, 53, lives at 1225 Woodside Drive, Arnold. He and his wife, Nancy, have three daughters. He is a business manager, union representative and spokesman for the St. Louis Police Officers Association. He received an associate degree in criminal justice from Jefferson College in 1985, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Missouri Baptist University in 1996, and a master’s degree in public policy administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2002. He has been a board member of the Jefferson County Veterans Tribute Park since 2013 and board president of Shield of Hope (a police charitable organization) since 2012. He served four two-year terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, was on the Antonia Fire Protection District’s board of Directors from 2002-2004 and the Rock Township Ambulance District’s board from 2000-2004. He also has been involved with numerous other volunteer board and civic organizations.
Social media: Website: jeff4jeffco.com Facebook: Jeff Roorda Email: jeff4jeffco@gmail.com
The county executive is the county’s top elected official. As such, what role should the executive play in leading county government?
Gannon: The county executive is designed by our county charter to be the CEO and is responsible for county operations. The executive must be a leader in economic development and improving the lives of all Jefferson County residents. The county executive must have strong leadership skills and the ability to manage people and lead the county government effectively, transparently and with open communication to the people of our county. My military training and years of leading the family business leave me uniquely qualified to take on the challenges of serving as county executive.
Roorda: The executive branch of Jefferson County government delivers vital public services including public safety, emergency management, safe roads, public parks and administrative services that affect the daily lives of residents. As the leader of the executive branch, the county executive is responsible for delivering public services that greatly impact quality of life and safety in our community. This solemn duty has been neglected for the last eight years while the current county executive and the council have fought and sued each other over petty squabbles that accomplish nothing when it comes to the needs of taxpayers. I’ll change that.
What would you do to improve the relationship between the county executive and the County Council?
Gannon: Communication and transparency are critical in building relationships. I will build trust with the council and stakeholders by recognizing their concerns and right to assist in making decisions. As county executive, I will ensure that all decisions and contracts made by the county are 100 percent transparent so people know when, why and how decisions are being made.
Roorda: I trust voters to elect a County Council that I can work with. The legislative branch is a separate and equal branch of county government whose elected members should be respected, as should their rightful authority. But I won’t tolerate them exceeding their authority. Too often, petty, personal conflicts, rather than the needs of the people, have driven the county's agenda. I’ll work behind the scenes to resolve potential disputes before they boil over into bitter confrontations in public forums. Everyone in county government needs to hit the reset button and get back to the work of the people.
What plans do you have for increasing county development?
Gannon: As county executive, I will work with business owners to address their concerns and find the most effective path to improve business. I have been a business owner and manager for most of my life and I know how hard it is to start and grow a company. I will take my experience from managing the family business and developing retail locations to reduce red tape and streamline the process faced by small business owners in starting new companies or expanding their businesses.
Roorda: We need to demonstrate to folks who want to invest financially in this county that we are open for business. I’ve watched time and time again as developers and businessmen who want to create jobs in this county have shown up to council meetings only to witness complete chaos and dysfunction. They walk away from investing here because they have no confidence their project can advance without getting mired in petty political squabbles. That’s wrong. I’d open the county for business, bring order to government meetings, professionalize county management, cut red tape and bring the county’s technology into the 21st century.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Gannon: I do not consider myself a politician, but as a retired major (in the Army Retired Reserves) and a businessman, I am trained to lead. I am an outsider to politics, but I have spent my life in Jefferson County and invested many years in community service. My service with local boards and commissions have provided me an understanding of the critical issues facing our community. My time running the family business has given me extensive experience and understanding on managing a budget. I will lead with integrity and build trust in our county government.
Roorda: I have the experience, education and personal assets needed to turn the corner on a very dysfunctional county government. My opponent is the hand-picked successor of the current county executive. If he’s elected, it’ll mean more of the same. We need change and I’m a well-known change agent. But, I also know how to work across the aisle. During eight years in the House of Representatives, I worked with Republican lawmakers and as a result, no other member of the minority party passed as many bills as I did. I’ll bring this “get ’er done” attitude to county government.