South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Filing ends: Some longtime incumbents will face challengers in April 5 election

Staff Report

Some longtime incumbents will face challengers in the April 5 elections for municipalities, school boards and the Mehlville Fire Protection District.

Filing ended last week for the April 5 election and several incumbents received some last-minute challengers.

Crestwood and Green Park have mayoral and aldermanic seats up for election and Sunset Hills has four aldermanic seats up for election. The Lindbergh and Mehlville boards of education each have three seats up for election, while the Mehlville Fire Protection District has two of its three Board of Directors seats up for election.

In Crestwood, Mayor Tom Fagan is seeking re-election after winning election in August to fill the remaining six months of the term of former Mayor Jim Robertson, who resigned in January 2004. Prior to ser-ving as mayor, Fagan was a Ward 4 alderman since 1993.

Roy Robinson, 9165 Cordoba Lane, 63126, has filed to run against Fagan. Rob-inson, who served as a Crestwood alderman from 1988 to 1992, unsuccessfully ran in the August mayoral election.

The Crestwood mayoral post carries a three-year term.

In Ward 4, Alderman Joseph O’Keefe is unopposed. He was appointed in August to fill Fagan’s aldermanic seat, which expires in 2006. O’Keefe will fill the remainder of the term to 2006. Normally, the seat would carry a three-year term.

In Green Park, Mayor Steven Armstrong has a challenger in his bid for a third term.

John Schott, 10936 Suanis Court, 63123, also is seeking the mayoral post.

Ward 1 will have new representation as Alderman Judy DeWitt did not file for re-election.

Michael Broughton, 9936 Jan Drive, 63123, and Bob Reinagel, 10957 Suanis Court, 63123, have filed for the position.

Ward 2 Alderman Chuck Deters and Ward 3 Alderman Mark Hayden are unopposed in the April 5 election.

The mayoral and aldermanic seats carry two-year terms.

In Sunset Hills, one seat from each of the city’s four wards is expiring, but only Ward 1 Alderman Michael Sawicki is being challenged. Sawicki filed along with Doug McGuire, 12501 Maret Drive, 63127, and Franklin Hardy Jr., 421 Rayburn Ave., 63127.

Ward 2 Alderman John Littlefield, Ward 3 Alderman Jan Hoffman and Ward 4 Alderman Donald Parker are unopposed.

The Sunset Hills aldermanic seats carry two-year terms.

In the Lindbergh School District, three seats are up for election and four candidates have filed.

Board of Education President Mark Rudoff, Vice President Barry Cooper and board member Katie Wesselschmidt have filed for re-election. Bob Foerstel, 9815 Eagle Hill Lane, 63127, also has filed.

The seats carry three-year terms.

In the Mehlville School District, three seats are up for election and four candidates have filed.

Board of Education President Cindy Christopher and Secretary Marea Kluth-Hoppe have filed for re-election. Also filing were Karl Frank Jr., 5682 Winter Gar-den Court, 63129, and Ken Leach, 7100 Becker Road, 63129. Frank was unsuccessful in his bid for a board seat last year.

Board Vice President Matthew Chellis did not file for a third term.

The Mehlville seats carry three-year terms.

In the Mehlville Fire Protection District, Chairman Tom O’Driscoll faces three challengers in his bid for a third term — John Maltagliati, 3340 Walworth Way Drive, 63129; Steven Mueller, 2775 Erb Road, 63129; and Aaron Hilmer, 2450 Christopher Winds Lane, 63129. The seat carries a six-year term.

The district also is conducting an election to carry out the remaining four years of the late Joe Gaterman’s term.

Secretary David Gralike was appointed to the board in 2003. Normally, the seat would carry a six-year term. Bonnie Stegman, 6039 Cardinal Creek Drive, 63129, has filed to challenge Gralike for the seat. She twice has run unsuccessfully for a board seat.