Larry A. Coulson
Marvin W Jeffers
Edward Walters
Ryan Tucker
Voters in half of Pevely’s four wards will have choices to make April 3 for seats on the city’s Board of Aldermen.
In Ward 1, Larry A. Coulson is challenging Marvin W. Jeffers, who is seeking a second two-year term.
Ward 2 incumbent Edward Walters is facing a challenge from Ryan Tucker. Walters was an alderman from 1995-1999 and returned to the board in 2014, then was re-elected in 2016.
The aldermen representing Ward 3 and Ward 4 are running unopposed. Eric F. Pieper is seeking his second two-year term, as is Ward 4’s Rick Arnold.
Aldermen are paid $150 per month.
WARD 1
COULSON, 61, lives at 2037 Quail Meadow. He and his wife, Diane, have two daughters and two grandchildren. He is a retired police commander and captain for the St. Louis Airport Police Department. A 1974 graduate of DuBourgHigh School. He completed a semester at the University of Missouri-St. Louis before he enlisted in the Army National Guard and then transferred to the Army Reserve. He is president of the Hunters Glen Homeowners Association and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is a founding member of the St. Louis Airport Police Officers Association and has been involved as a volunteer with the Girl Scouts, the Catholic Youth Council, at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and the Special Olympics.
JEFFERS, 75, lives at 605 Alsace Lane. He and his wife, Dorothy, have two children and five grandchildren. He is a retired business systems analyst from Anheuser-Busch. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He is a member and former officer with the Elks and was a subdivision trustee,
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Coulson: A void exists where there should be positive, directional leadership. The leadership we do have cannot get the business of government done, because some aldermen hold city business back to pursue petty squabbles and hurt feelings.
Jeffers: ■ Taxes: Our real estate and personal property tax rates are 15 percent higher than nearby cities. Our utility rate of 5 percent is the highest allowed by state law. We should not increase tax rates.
■ Street repairs: Despite hiring more people and contracting out grass cutting, there are still repairs. The board should monitor a list of needed repairs.
■ City in real estate business: We are still paying off $5 million on a bad deal. We bought $750,000 of property that wasn’t in the budget and haven’t sold any. Sell and get out.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Coulson: Short term, my No. 1 priority is to get city government working again. We need to fill the vacant positions on the Police, Parks and Tourism committees. We need to do a better job of retaining employees. Competitive wages are important, but dissatisfaction is the primary reason people change jobs. Leadership that provides opportunities for advancement and training retains employees.
Long term, planning. We should create a five-year plan to succeed and then execute that plan to attract business and home ownership growth.
Jeffers: I have worked on the above problems. I would make the board aware of them and possible solutions. I got the city administrator to refinance loans for the real estate debt and the new City Hall building, saving $1 million for the city and homeowners in Southern Heights. I will work to resolve the discord between the mayor and the board so we can get back to work. I will work to make sure residents get good value for their taxes and fees. I will look for more ways the city can cut costs.
There’s been a lot of discord reported among the city’s officials. Do you think this is a problem and what would you do to rectify it?
Coulson: Yes. Leadership: We desperately need a professional working environment that prioritizes people and goals above pettiness and hurt feelings. The most immediate solution is to elect new aldermen.
Jeffers: The mayor has exceeded her authority and has not done her duty. She wanted a certain person to be police chief, but the board voted against that person, so her duty was to select someone else. The mayor didn’t do this. This has started all the discord. The city attorney has backed the mayor.
WARD 2
WALTERS, 61, lives at 672 Riverview Drive. A retired union roofer, he was a foreman and repairman for Western Construction and Waterproofing in St. Louis. A 1975 graduate of HerculaneumHigh School, he volunteers to deliver meals for the QuadCitySeniorCenter and is a member of the Jefferson County Labor PAC. He has also been a member of the Planning and Zoning Board and the Pevely Lions Club.
TUCKER, 41, lives at 863 Riverview Drive. He and his wife, Mindy, have two children. He is an owner of The Window and Siding Source and a 1994 graduate of KirkwoodHigh School who also attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is on the city’s planning and zoning board and has been a youth athletic coach.
What are the biggest problems facing the city and how would you address them?
Walters: All the differences between the board and the mayor. Getting more businesses to move to Pevely and deciding how the Hwy. Z corridor should be developed. Until the mayor appoints a police chief, there will be friction between board members and the mayor. This election should decide a lot about this issue. We purchased the three lots at Main and Hwy. Z and have businesses interested in purchasing them; however, some want to move Main Street through the middle of the lots we bought. That would destroy any possibility of selling the property and attracting businesses.
Tucker: Cohesion within the board. The city is starving for a vision and any action to achieve its goals within that vision. Pevely has so much opportunity and potential. Right now, personal agendas, grievances and distrust plague the current board. I would bring a fresh face and ideas. I have the ability to keep the bigger picture of Pevely and its residents at the forefront. I would realize it’s not about me and that as board members, we have to find common ground.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Walters: From the beginning, I was against selling the water and sewer systems to the American Water Co. I am glad the board voted against the issue. I would like to see the waterline and street replacement continue, Riverview Drive and Rio Vista subdivision should be next. Selling the two lots at Main and Hwy. Z and developing the Hwy. Z corridor will bring in more tax dollars and attract other businesses to the area. When the Hwy. Z project is complete, it will make the area more appealing.
Tucker: I have no personal agenda other than wanting the city to strive to be great. I would work to create a vision of what we want Pevely to be, define the goals to get to that vision and develop the plan to get there. I believe in smart growth. I want well-thought-out commercial opportunities for commerce, which will help ease the tax burden on residents and provide jobs. We should develop events for community involvement and pride. I envision an inclusive, safe, walkable, thriving, nurturing vision of the city.
There’s been a lot of discord reported among the city’s officials. Do you think this is a problem and what would you do to rectify it?
Walters: Yes, there is discord between city officials. However, the mayor makes the agenda for every meeting and she is the one who needs to make appointments and be more transparent with board members. Aldermen made the time to interview nine candidates for a police chief and then re-interviewed three of them and we are still waiting for an appointment to be made. Everything hinges on this election and residents will make the choice on which direction Pevely moves.
Tucker: The board has reached a point where it is so divided that I do not see, as it sits now, being productive. Animosity toward individuals has become so self-involving that its purpose of working for the betterment of the city and its residents has been greatly diluted. We need fresh faces and new voices that operate with common sense.