UPDATE: It's a Tie!

Pat Stinnett and Steve Purgahn are deadlocked at 470 votes, and Ward 6 remains without a new councilman.

UPDATED: Thursday at 9:30 a.m. The official April 5 municipal election results have been calculated, and Ward 6 remains without a new city councilman. According to City Clerk Karen Goodwin, Pat Stinnett and Steve Purgahn are tied at 470 votes a piece. Third candidate Ben Eye received 336 votes.  Goodwin said that this is a first for the city of Florissant.  There are two options for candidates that must be decided by Thursday. The winners can opt to flip a coin or participate in some sort of drawing, or they will be put on the Aug. 2 election ballot alongside candidates for the Ward 3 City Council seat, which is being vacated by mayor-elect Tom Schneider. If the candidates opt for a run-off election, current Ward 6 Councilman Andrew …

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Gabe

12:21 pm on Friday, April 22, 2011

No Problemo.   more ›

Florissant Mayoral Candidates Report Campaign Finance Contributions

Schneider leads in funds raised with $57,000 followed by Behlmann and Geerling

Update at 10:10 a.m. Tuesday’s mayoral election promises to be one of the most exciting in Florissant history. But one candidate will have been able to outspend all the others by virtue of raising and borrowing more than double the money of the next candidate. Of the six mayoral candidates, Tom Schneider leads all candidates in fundraising with a total of $57,354. He raised more contributions than Mark Behlmann, who is second in fundraising with $26,548, but Schneider also took out a $25,000 bank loan. Susan Geerling is the next biggest fundraiser at $11,366, including a $5,000 loan. The candidates are required to file campaign finance reports eight days before the election. According to those reports, Behlmann had spent nearly $3,000 more…

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Election 2011

Back in the Saddle

Andrew Podleski attempts his second run at mayoral seat.

The 2011 Florissant mayoral race isn’t the first rodeo for Ward 6 City Councilman and candidate Andrew Podleski. In the 2007 election, Podleski challenged incumbent Mayor Robert Lowery for his seat and earned more than 40 percent of the vote. Although he lost the race, Podleski kept his aspirations alive by running and winning the Ward 6 city council seat in 2008.  Now in the midst of a six-person race for office, Podleski said his opponents are riding on his coattails of topics such as transparency in government, balancing the budget and keeping funds separate. These are all issues, which, Podleski said, are issues he brought up four years ago. “I brought this up four years ago, and none of these other candidates, who have all been in …

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They Meet Again

Mayoral candidates come together for a second public forum.

More than 60 people and members of the North St. Louis County Republicans Club attended the group’s monthly meeting for a second mayoral candidate forum. The candidates faced five questions, which the club pulled from audience members, that dealt in the possibility of Walmart moving into the area, eminent domain and keeping the bodyguard and car allowance of the mayor. Several residents came out to listen to the views of the six candidates and get a better perspective on whom to vote for April 5. Florissant resident Steve Meitz said it was interesting, but the candidates appeared to have comparable goals. “It didn’t seem like much difference between goals,” he said. “I think it’s going to come on experience.” Meitz said that the forum …

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The Signs Point to Election Season

Political signs have been big talk this elections season, and they're everywhere now.

Florissant's focus and drama surrounding political signs kicked off early in the election season, even before they were allowed to be posted.  Earlier in the year, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf on M. Christine BredenKoetter saying that her free speech had been violated by the City of Florissant. In November, BredenKoetter posted a political sign for her husband, Andrew Podleski, who's a mayoral candidate, in their front yard. Podleski and his wife received a letter saying that the sign was illegal and would have to be taken down. In January, the Florissant City Council voted to amend the ordinance. With less than three weeks before the municipal elections, political signs are out in full force throughout town.

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Florissant Mayoral Candidates Respond to Audience Questions During Forum

Florissant Patch features the candidates responses to questions on their priorities if elected and the mayor's salary.

The six Florissant mayoral candidates answered questions submitted by the audience during a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Wednesday at the John F. Kennedy Community Center. Patch features the candidates' responses to two of the questions regarding their priorities if elected mayor and on the mayor's salary. The candidates are Tom Schneider, Mark Behlmann, Andrew Podleski, Susan Geerling, Michael Spreng and Robert Garrett. They will square off in the April 5 election.

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Where the Candidates Stand

Wednesday night's mayoral candidate forum delivered clarity to candidates' position on issues.

On Wednesday night, Florissant residents had the opportunity to question the potential next mayor during the mayoral candidate forum. And they didn’t waste a single minute. From 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., candidates answered questions regarding the city’s budget, sustainability, senior programs, as well as their plans if elected to the office of mayor.  Although several candidates had similar answers to questions, they stood out on their own on a number of varying questions.  Here’s a short list of highlights and lowlights for each candidate: Mark Behlmann Robert Garrett Susan Geerling Andrew Podleski Tom Schneider Michael Spreng

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Election 2011

Candidates Contend for Ward 6 City Council Seat

Three Florissant residents are vying for the city council position Andrew Podleski is vacating.

With City Councilman Andrew Podleski running for mayor, Ward 6 will gain a new face and representative on the council after April 5, and there are three candidates vying for the spot.  On April 5, Ward 6 constituents will choose between Pat Stinnett, Ben Eye and Steve Purgahn for their next representative. Each of the candidates hopes their unique qualifications will give them the edge on election day. Previously, the ward had four candidates, Gerard Henke was the fourth person who had filed for the position. However, during the Feb. 14 City Council meeting, Ward 4 City Councilman and council president Keith English read a letter from Henke stating that he had resigned from the race due to a new promotion at work.  We're giving …

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Florissant Council to Debate Cutting Mayor's Salary

McKay's proposal would cut the next mayor's salary by $48,000.

The Florissant City Council once again will debate an issue that has divided council members since the beginning of budget talks: the mayor’s salary. Ward 7 Councilwoman Karen McKay proposed the salary cut during budget discussions earlier in late fall, but the council voted to table the recommendation. The bill would have a second reading Monday. City Council President Keith English, Ward 4, said he opted to table that discussion because he believed a nearly 35 percent pay cut to be unfair to Mayor Robert Lowery Sr. “That’s no different than you accepting a newspaper job, and after you start, you find out the salary is lower than they told you,” he said. However, Lowery announced in December that he would not seek re-election. “With Mayor…

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The Ballots Are Set (Almost)

Seven candidates file to run for mayor, while candidates for municipal and school board races have been finalized.

As filing closed for the April 5 election Tuesday evening, candidate fields for the municipal and school board elections became clear. Seven have filed to run for the mayoral seat of Florissant. Ward 3 City Councilman Tom Schneider, Ward 6 City Councilman Andrew Podleski and Hazelwood School Board member Mark Behlmann have filed and have been verified for the election. Four others have submitted their nomination petitions, but their signatures are still being verified by the state, said City Clerk Karen Goodwin. Former Ward 1 City Councilwoman Susan Geerling, former Ward 6 City Councilman Robert Garrett, state Rep. Michael Spreng and Virgil Wiles have filed for the seat, which Mayor Robert Lowery will retire from in April. Goodwin said …

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