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By Carol Arnett

Voters in two Florissant wards will go to the polls on Tuesday,  Aug. 2 to determine who the newest two council members.

There are no other candidates or issues on this special ballot to  fill the seats of Mayor Tom Schneider’s old council seat and the seat of retiring Councilman Andrew Podleski.

Ward 2 is a run-off election between Pat Stinnett and and Steve  Purgahn that would settle the tie-vote in the April election when each got 470 votes after a recount.

In Ward 3, Mark Behlmann, Joe Eagan, and Elizabeth O’Fallon are running.

Mark Behlmann said, “I’ve been a part of this community all my life, I’m concerned about the challenges this city has faced over the last decade and I want to be part of the solution.” He said that one of the challenges facing the city is the perception many people have. “We need to get residents positive and that starts with the administration and council,” he said. “The city needs to provide information. People have to feel comfortable about what is going on,” he said.

Problems facing Ward 3, he said, include street problems, traffic problems and distressed and vacant properties. “People don’t feel they’re getting acceptable assistance,” he said. He said that one of his goals would be to provide great customer service. “I can’t solve every problem, but I can help you find the resource that can,” he said, “whether that is someone is the city or the county.”

Behlmann is in favor of a Charter Review Commission. He contends a committee of nonpartisan citizens who are interested in city government should have the opportunity to review the 37-year-old city charter. He said he has never stated that he has an agenda to change the current charter to one that would allow a city management form of government. “Only those provisions that need to b e changed should be followed up and worked on,” he said. Behlmann owns a construction business located in Florissant.

Joe Eagan is the third candidate in the Ward 3 race. Eagan said he was running to continue a lifetime of community service. He said that he and his wife have been active in several charitable causes through the years. “This is a way to continue to serve, but in a different fashion,” he said.

Eagan said the challenges the city faces include keeping citizens safe. “If people don’t feel safe, there is not quality of life,” he said. Another challenge is the devaluation of property.

In Ward 3, residents are feeling the effects of the economy, Eagan said. “People have lost their property values, and in some cases lost their jobs,” he said.

Eagan said he was for a charter review, but not for a Charter Review Commission. He thinks the council members  should review the charter, looking at one article at the end of every council meeting. He said when meeting people door-to-door, “not one person mentioned the charter review.”

Eagan is a police officer in Maryland Heights. Eagan is also running for office for the first time. “I think I can bring a breath of fresh air into the council,” he said.

Elizabeth O’Fallon is also running in Ward 3, her first run for any office. “I’ve had some frustrations with government,” she said. “I thought I could keep complaining or I could run for office and try to do something.”

She said she was concerned after the recent audit of the city. “It showed a lack of accountability and some wasteful spending,” she said. “The city is not doing a great job at being transparent.” She said a challenge facing the city is the economy. “We can’t keep using our reserves,” she said. She said the reserves should be saved for a true emergency, not used to balance the budget.

Challenges facing Ward 3 include vacant homes, traffic and security. She said that ward had many busy streets and residential streets used as short-cuts, and residents were frustrated at the traffic and the speeders. O’Fallon is in favor of a Charter Review Commission. She is a stay at home mother of five. Before she had her children, she worked in the financial field and also managed an office for a small business.

In Ward 6, Steve Purgahn and Pat Stinnett are facing off once again after April election resulted in a tie.

Pat Stinnett has said that his many years of working for AT&T provided him with the experience needed on the council. He has the skills to deal with personnel issues and the budget, he said. “I know how to deal with individuals and meet their needs,” he said.

Stinnett is not in favor of a Charter Review Commission. He said that the council should review the charter.

Stinnett said that challenges facing the city include maintaining property values, and the ongoing maintenance of city properties, such as streets and parks. “And of course, “he added, “everyone wants to live in a safe neighborhood.” Stinnett said that Ward 6’s challenges are the same as the rest of the city. “There is also a great amount of history in Old Town that we must work to preserve,” he said.

Steve  Purgahn is a CPA with a business in Old Town and a lifetime residents of Florissant. He has stated that he would use his strong background in finance on the council. Purgahn is in favor of the Charter Review Commission. “It makes sense to have a citizen commission,” he said. “It’s the most effective way.” He noted that any recommendations from the commission would come back to the council, which is not prohibited from adding their own recommendations.

The challenges faces the city include trying to maintain services with shrinking revenue, Purgahn said. In Ward 6, he would like to promote the business district. “We need more places like Hendel’s,” he said, which he called a destination point that draws people from inside and outside the city. “St Francois Street is the center of the city,” he said, and he would work to keep it thriving.

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