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

Incumbents spend little in re-election bids

Mehlville Board of Education President Cindy Christopher and Secretary Marea Kluth-Hoppe apparently have spent little money in their re-election efforts.

Neither incumbent candidate filed a fi-nancial disclosure report last week with the county Board of Election Commission-ers.

By law, candidates raising and spending less than $500 and not receiving more than $250 from any single contributor are not required to file campaign disclosure re-ports.

Meanwhile, two other candidates, Karl Frank Jr. and Ken Leach, spent $2,285 and $2,187 respectively. Both candidates purchased signs, fliers and newspaper ads.

The four candidates vied for three seats on the Mehlville Board of Education in Tuesday’s election, which took place after the Call went to press. The seats carry three-year terms.

Frank, who is making his second run for the board, raised $3,278, including donations from three well-known local faces.

Former Democratic state Rep. Joan Barry donated $50. Green Park Board of Aldermen President Fred Baras of Ward 3 gave $50 and former Mehlville Board of Education member Dan Fowler gave $200.

Fowler served as chairman of both the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Facili-ties and the Citizens to Protect Our Invest-ment and was instrumental in the Novem-ber 2000 voter approval of Proposition P, a nearly $68.4 million bond issue funded by a 49-cent tax-rate increase. However, the Board of Education voted in November to approve a revised Proposition P budget of $88,927,440.

The revised Proposition P budget represents a roughly 30 percent increase — more than $20.5 million — over the $68.4 million districtwide building improvement program envisioned in 2000.

Other contributors to Frank’s campaign included Saba Khalil, $300; Daniel and Cheryl Roth, $250; Diane Ari, $100; John Hendrickson, $100; Cordis Butts, $100; Toni Zanti, $100; Mark Ludwig, $100; Tom Rollins, $100; and several other contributions less than $100.

Some of Frank’s campaign cash carried over from his bid for the board last year.

Leach raised $2,190 for his campaign, including a $300 donation from the Mehlville National Education Association.

Other contributions included Mike’s Tae Kwon Do, $300; Walter Leach, $300; Jerel Poor, $150; Jackie Leach, $200; Barbara Cocos, $300; $540 from individuals giving $100 or less; and $100 from anonymous contributors giving $25 or less.