Former Mehlville Board of Education member Kevin Schartner announced Nov. 10 that he will be running for the 6th St. Louis County Council District in next year’s election.

Schartner served on the Mehlville Board of Education for two terms, including serving as board president during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release, Schartner said that he was seeking higher office to support public safety, fiscal responsibility and responsible development.

“Protecting lives and protecting property is the number one job of county government,” Schartner stated. “We need to be more proactive in addressing opportunities to improve. Lastly, the County faces a crisis in how to deal with a $47 million budget deficit. My expertise working with budgets will help in getting the county’s fiscal house in order.”

The 6th District seat is currently held by Ernie Trakas, R-Oakville. He was elected to his first four-year term in November 2016, and defeated former Rep. Bob Burns to keep the seat in 2020. He has not made a formal announcement on if he is seeking reelection.

Schartner was first elected to the Mehlville school board in 2016, following the passage of Proposition R. Prop R was an $8 million, 49-cent tax-rate increase approved in November 2015.

Schartner served two terms on the school board, including as president during his second term from 2019-2022.

“A primary reason for running was to ensure the Prop R promises were met,” Schartner stated. “The district’s annual audits during my tenure show that those promises were met and that the district maintained financial discipline during my time on the board.”

Originally from Milwaukee, Schartner has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Marquette University, and a master’s degree in engineering management from Syracuse University.