This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 31, - Forget the back and forth over St. Louis County's new elected assessor, O'Fallon's proposed public smoking ban or the fate of the St. Louis' earnings tax. In many local communities, what is most likely to drive voters to the polls next Tuesday, say some election officials, will be the region's contentious -- and, in many cases, crowded -- battles to be mayors. At least 27 St.
Louis County municipalities will elect mayors next Tuesday, and all but a handful feature two or more candidates. Click here for St. Louis County's list of candidates and issues on the April 5 ballot.
Residents recently packed a huge gym in Florissant to hear from all six of the contenders vying to succeed retiring Mayor Robert Lowery, who was under fire for much of last year. Five candidates are battling for the top spot in nearby Bellefontaine Neighbors, where incumbent Marty Rudloff also is retiring. And four are competing in Chesterfield to succeed John Nations, who resigned as mayor to become Metro's new chief executive. Tim Fischesser, executive director of the St.
Louis Couny Municipal League, says the retirements of several veteran mayors have contributed to the unusual number of crowded contests. But arguably the region's most closely watched mayoral competition is on neighboring turf, the two-person battle in St. Charles, the region's third-largest municipality with a population of 65,, where incumbent Patti York is facing challenger Sally Faith , a state legislator.
The St. Charles mayor, like the mayors in Florissant and Bellefontaine Neighbors, has more power and responsibilities than most of their regional counterparts, many of whom are part-time mayors with full-time city managers.
