2019/01/07 - Mayor's Column: New City Council Appointments
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
The City of O’Fallon is about to enter the time of year when we hold our annual budget meetings. These days, it seems that the budget process lasts year-round. However, over the next few months the process intensifies while City Staff prepares the annual budget and presents it to the City Council for input and approval.
When all is said and done, the budget will have been presented to each City Council Committee and the general public. The annual budget must be balanced and be approved by the City Council prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year on May 1.
Next, during the January 7, 2019 City Council Meeting, I will ask the Council to approve three Aldermanic appointments. These appointments are necessary to fill seats vacated by three former City Council members that were elected to serve St. Clair County. To my understanding, this is the largest group of Council Members to be appointed at one time. They will serve until the election April 2019. After the election, we will have the swearing in of the Council Members that were elected by you during the April 2nd elections.
The three candidates I will submit to the Council on the 7th for approval will be Mr. John Distler for Ward 1, Mr. John Drolet for Ward 4, and Mr. Christopher Monroe for Ward 5.
These three individuals bring a history of involvement in the community and they have all been elected to different positions in the past by our citizens. All three also have a good background in handling public and private finances. I think both are important traits for anyone serving on the City Council to have.
Mr. Distler and Mr. Drolet have not registered as Aldermen Candidates in the April election. Mr. Monroe, who is running unopposed for a seat in Ward 5, will be on the April ballot.
While there are many qualified candidates that have registered to run in the April election, I did not think that it was appropriate for me to appoint someone that will be running in the April election against an opponent. I believe that this could give someone an unfair advantage in the election. I want the residents of O’Fallon to make the choice in April’s election as to who will bring the best knowledge and experience to serve our City going forward. Here is a list of those that will be on the April Ballot for your selection:
- Ward 1: Dennis Muyleart, Jessica Gunther
- Ward 2: Jessica Lotz, Bob Kueker
- Ward 3: Kevin Hagarty
- Ward 4: Todd Roach, Mary Lynam-Miller, Sarah Atterberry
- Ward 5: Chris Monroe (unexpired 2-year term) Gwen Randolph (4 year-term), Chris Hursey (4-year term)
- Ward 6: Tom Vorce, Casey Sharven
- Ward 7: Nathan Parchman, Brian Gibson
When you look at the fact that we appointed one Council Member last year to replace the resignation of Mrs. Marsh and that we will have at least 5 new Council Members elected in April, it is extremely important that our citizens find out who are the best candidates with the best knowledge and experience to serve you, your ward, and the city. Nearly half of the City Council will be new, but I am confident that they will all be up-to-speed quickly.
City Staff is hosting a candidate informational meeting on January 15th to share with the candidates the general structure of city government and major issues facing the City of O’Fallon. This meeting will provide an opportunity for candidates to learn about the City and ask questions before they begin knocking on doors and talking to voters.
Once the election is over, we have training scheduled that will help the new, and returning City Council Members, quickly get to the business of moving O’Fallon forward.
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!