Ward 8 St. Charles City Council Candidate Justin Collier

Patch reached out to all local candidates for office to do an election profile before the April election. All candidates who spoke with Patch will be featured on the site. 

Justin Collier, 30

Occupation: Controls Technician, Wiegmann Associates

Education: B.A. History, University of Missouri-Columbia

Family: Single

Years in St. Charles: 30 

Why are you running for election? 

I want to bring a real change to the way our city governs. I no longer want the residents of Ward 8, or the rest of Saint Charles, to settle for the status quo. Part of the change I envision is bringing younger, fresh ideas to city government. I have witnessed Saint Charles slip from the most populous, premier city of our County, to a city known primarily as the County Seat. I want to restore the glory and premier city status to Saint Charles. I want young professionals, entrepreneurs, and working class individuals moving to – or remaining in – our city, not moving to the western reaches of the County. 

What is the biggest issue facing St. Charles? 

I see TIF (tax increment financing) issued without regard for consequences as a major problem facing Saint Charles. The use of TIFs has become nothing more than a handout to large developers of retail projects that don't require the use of the incentive to make the project financially feasible. I believe that in the City of Saint Charles we have abused the original intent of TIFs leaving a smaller tax base to foot the bills. TIF abuse results in a smaller tax base and less money for our schools, funds which eventually have to come from somewhere, and which therefore land on the backs of Saint Charles residents. 

In what areas does St. Charles need to improve? 

The current Council seems to be satisfied with the inability to oversee projects effectively. For example, our leaders in Saint Charles took over 3 years to deliver a road expansion project on New Town Boulevard. Three years on a road to an important new community in our city. If I'm elected to the Council, I will be your voice to make sure the projects and issues that are important to you are prioritized and managed effectively so that you have safe roads and growing opportunities for your families. 

In the November election, city council did the proper thing by asking the citizens to approve a bond issue to repair the city parking garage. Unfortunately, it was so poorly explained that most citizens were the understood it as the city asking for funds to build a new garage. Because of this poor communication with the citizens, the city was forced to place the proposition back on the April ballot. Although I agree with this position, the increase in the bond request has doubled. If the parking garage project had been better explained to the citizens in November, we could have avoided a $500,000 increase in the bond request. The City council needs to improve the way they communicate with the citizens. I will be part of this improved communication.

What will you do to help attract small business and retail to St. Charles? 

For businesses to prosper in our community in the new economy, they need access to a highly qualified workforce. The City needs to further cultivate relationships with Lindenwood University, Saint Charles Community College and other higher education institutions to ensure that the students they educate stay in our community to pursue careers. Leading efforts to promote young professionals to live and work in Saint Charles is critical for our business community to continue to prosper. 

What will you to do to maintain quality of life for St. Charles residents? 

As our housing stock in the community continues to age, it is important to maintain the quality of our neighborhoods so that property values in the City return to a continued pattern growth. Proper code enforcement to ensure our communities reflect our values is important and needs renewed focus. As a member of the Council, I will work with staff to make sure that problem properties are cleaned up and no longer left in disrepair. 

What's one thing you'd like to accomplish this year? 

I would like the City of Saint Charles to decrease its dependency on gaming revenue. When gaming was approved by voters, one of the selling points was the increased funding for education. Unfortunately, the City of Saint Charles currently spends approximately 2/3 of gaming revenues on city salaries. I feel that we need to honor the original intent of gaming and invest those revenues in our future generations.