Staff report

Democrat Robert “Bob” Nelson is challenging Republican 3rd District County Councilwoman Colleen M. Wasinger for her seat in the Nov. 2 election.

Wasinger is seeking her second four-year term on the council.

Asked to identify the most important issue in the race, the candidates responded:

• “Improve the county’s economic condition,” Nelson said.

• “Managing the growth and development of St. Louis County. All of those items that we have wrestled with over the past few years — development, tax assessments, eminent domain, (tax-increment financing) — have one thread in common. They are all tied into growth and sustaining our economic engine as a county and a region. Without the proper planning and controls, we cannot expect to build a community that will be the place our children will want to call home. The single most important issue facing our county is economic development and attracting and retaining high quality jobs for our future,” Wasinger said.

Nelson, 72, of Kirkwood, is a retired coach and teacher. He served on the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees as a Subdistrict 4 trustee from April 2004 to April 2010 and was board chairman for three years. He and his wife, Tina, have two adult sons.

He said he is seeking office to “improve the economic atmosphere of St Louis County.”

Wasinger, 45, 860 Durbin Court, 63141, is an attorney and describes herself as a community volunteer. She is a trustee in the Huntington Farms subdivision.

Wasinger was appointed to the Town and Country Board of Aldermen in 2005 and was elected to the board in April 2006. Later that year, she was elected to the 3rd District council seat vacated by Republican Skip Mange.

Wasinger and her husband, David, have two young children.

She said she is seeking re-election because “(a)s a life-long resident of west county, I believe I share a perspective similar to the majority of the residents of the 3rd District when it comes to public policy and the role of St. Louis County. As the councilman for the 3rd District, coupled with my legal background, I strive to share my experiences to deal with those issues most important to our residents: economic development within the district/region, fair tax assessments, zoning and good fiscal management of services.

“With a BS, MBA and law degree, I believe that I bring a broad base of knowledge to the County Council that would be most beneficial for the management of county business, effective use of our resources and the continued growth of our region and the municipalities in the county.

“St. Louis County faces many complex challenges that involve difficult financial and legal choices for residents and businesses,” Wasinger said. “I consider myself to be a strong fiscal conservative and will bring my professional background and education to the table.”

The candidates gave the following responses to a Call questionnaire:

Do you believe the county Planning Commission is responsive to county residents? How long should appointees serve on the Planning Commission?

Nelson said, “I believe that simplifying the ‘rules’ — so that residents can understand how to be heard and be involved and how to make their insights and opinions understood — would go a long way in enabling the commission to be more responsive to residents. Often residents feel left out because some deadline passed or some procedure that must be followed prevented them from becoming involved at the appropriate moment. These rules and procedures should be provided to the public in plainly written language. We should not need to hire a lawyer just to be heard at the county government level.

“As far as term limits go, I’m not sure.  I know in Kirkwood where I live, has term limits for all boards and commissions. I need to study that issue more as it relates to the county.”

Wasinger said, “The composition of the Planning Commission is established by county ordinance and I feel it gives due representation to the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county. The ‘responsiveness’ of that body is subject to the opinions of those who are following its deliberations and decisions. My experience indicates that they have followed their mandate as a commission. I believe that the present guideline calls for a three-year term but does not restrict the number of terms that a member may serve. I believe that a process that incorporates a periodic turnover of members is an appropriate requirement and would support no more than two terms on the commission.”

Do you believe the County Council should approve legislation prohibiting councilmen from accepting campaign contributions from developers? Should councilmen vote on rezoning and development projects submitted by campaign contributors?

Nelson said, “I wish all money given to any candidate for any position was prohibited. Currently the campaign disclosure laws require that candidates say where the money comes from, and until the Supreme Court rules differently, I guess we are stuck with this system.”

Wasinger said, “A contributor involved in a rezoning or development project is no less deserving of representation than a non-contributor. The council member has the responsibility to vote on each project based upon its merits, the desires/needs of the community and the feasibility of the endeavor.

“If there is a valid issue of conflict of interest then the council member has the responsibility to recuse himself from a vote.”

Do you support the trash-district program that has been established in St. Louis County?

Nelson said, “I am going to uphold whatever the courts conclude.”

Wasinger said, “The idea of the trash district program is a good one; it cuts down on traffic in our subdivisions, helps our ability to recycle and keeps trash hauling costs low for our residents. However, implementation of this plan by County Executive (Charlie) Dooley’s office was not handled well as evidenced by the recent court decision which could potentially subject our county to having to pay a large amount of damages because the county failed to give the required two-year statutory notice to local haulers before proceeding. In fact, I introduced legislation to slow down implementation so that we as a community could start recycling on our own and wait two years to gauge our performance which also would have allowed the county to provide the required two-years’ notice.”

Do changes need to be made to the county’s assessment process?

Nelson said, “This process needs to be changed immediately so that it reflects current values, not values from two years ago.”

Wasinger said, “Our assessment program is a constant ‘work in progress.’ It needs to be closely monitored to meet the requirements of state law and those of our residents.”

What is your position on tax-increment financing and other tax tools?

Nelson said, TIF’s should be used only rarely, and only when it clearly is in the public’s interest. For instance, I could support a temporary TIF to redevelop the Fenton Chrysler Plant. I would not support a TIF to build another new shopping mall.”

Wasinger said, “Tax incentive tools such as tax-increment financing and Chapter 100 bonds should only be used when there will be a significant and a measurable gain for our community. I believe that TIF moneys can be a tool which leads to a community asset if used properly, but all of the stakeholders including the school districts and fire districts have to be part of the process. We cannot keep taking away the revenue base of our schools and life safety services and expect to maintain our present quality of life.”

What measures, if any, will you propose to encourage economic development in this area?

Nelson said, “No. 1, promote St Louis as a national and international transportation hub; No. 2, encourage redevelopment of empty warehouses and factories.”

Wasinger said, “Economic development is critical for keeping and retaining high quality jobs in our area. Keeping taxes low and streamlining business processes in the county will be a continued priority. One of my primary concerns is stable, well planned economic development for all of St. Louis County, wherever it is feasible and appropriate.”

Would you support an increase in the county’s tax rate? If the choice was cutting services or increasing the tax rate, which would you support?

Nelson said, “No. I would cut services that would not harm the public’s health or welfare. My priority is to attract business development that creates more jobs and therefore eliminates the necessity of increased taxes or diminished services.”

Wasinger said, “No, I will not support a tax increase for the county unless there is some emergency unforeseen circumstance. Any tax increase that the council feels is necessary should go before a public vote.

“If it became necessary to choose between raising the tax rate or cutting services, I would support cutting back on overhead expenses of the county and doing more with less. I would heavily review our operational requirements and costs first. If there are services that can be cut without seriously affecting the quality of life for our residents, then I would move to trim those services.”

What will you do to encourage the expansion of MetroLink to south county? What sort of timetable and funding would you propose?

Nelson said, “We will not be in the race to attract more new business development or more jobs without expanding MetroLink as soon as possible to south and west county. We need to use federal transportation grant programs to help us develop Metro lines that cover the entire county. Major cities throughout this country have used these moneys, and we need to also.”

Wasinger said, “Having a solid transportation system throughout St. Louis County is yet another tool for economic development. Supporting the development of Metro is important to our region as well as planning and developing our road system to accommodate different avenues for development. With Metro’s recent new source of revenue coming in, planning for its expansion in all areas of our county are on the table. Whether it is MetroLink, bus service, Call a Ride or the development of Bus Rapid Transit systems are all questions which are being analyzed and considered now. I would not propose a timetable because that is not realistic at this time. The costs, public engagement process and planning associated with the building of a Metro option in south county are too complicated for quick answers.”

Do you support the county smoking ban that will be effective Jan. 1? Should its provision be expanded?

Nelson said, “I support the countywide smoking ban as did the voters. No expansion.”

Wasinger said, “One of the campaign issues during 2006 was whether or not to allow the voters of St. Louis County to decide if they wanted to ban smoking in most places in St. Louis County. I’m proud to say that I supported the measure to place that issue on the ballot which the voters passed overwhelmingly. As for expanding its current provisions, I would certainly consider such a measure.”

Should St. Louis County and St. Louis city merge? Please elaborate.

Nelson said, “In theory, I believe eventually St Louis City will be one of the numerous cities — over 90 municipalities right now — contained within St Louis County. But this can only happen if it doesn’t cost us more money to do it.  The rule must be it saves us all money and it grows St Louis positively from the 49th largest metropolitan area to probably the seventh largest metropolitan area in the country. This would always be subjected to voter scrutiny. It must save us money and improve the region or I’d be against it.”

Wasinger said, “St. Louis County is facing many critical issues at this time with declining revenues and rising expenses, and to add an issue of this magnitude does not make economic sense. St. Louis city has its own share of issues and until such time as those are rectified a merger is not something that is good for St. Louis County.”