April 3 Election Voters' Guide
A county initiative and school board race are on the ballot.
On April 3, voters will chose two members for the Mehlville school board and decide on a St. Louis County proposition.
No matter whom you vote for, these people will make decisions that impact tax rates, education, and county government. To help each voter make an informed decision, Mehlville-Oakville Patch has compiled its extensive election coverage into this guide.
Each candidate’s name is linked to his or her original profile. View their responses to our questionnaire below either question-by-question, or candidate-by-candidate. Also, tune in to Patch on election night for results.
Where can I vote?
On Tuesday, April 3, polling places will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Find your polling place by inputting your address or check out the PDF attached to the guide.
Ballot Measures
Proposition S: St. Louis County voters will be asked to approve a $100 million bond issue to fund construction on both county court buildings. Most of the bond—$85 million—would be used to construct a new Family Court building next to the circuit court. The remaining $15 million would fund repairs at the circuit court.
The measure needs 57 percent approval to pass. If passed, it would represent about $8 in annual property taxes for each St. Louis County property owner, but would not raise taxes for residents.
The ballot text reads as follows:
Shall St. Louis County, Missouri, issue general obligation bonds in the amount of up to One Hundred Million Dollars for the purpose of acquiring a site and constructing, renovating, improving and equipping court facilities and related improvements, including a new family court for St. Louis County?
Mehlville School District Board of Education
Four candidates are vying for two positions on the school board for a three-year term. The candidates have participated in local forums, solicited campaign contributions and been endorsed by community organizations.
Patch asked the following questions to the candidates:
1. What is your vision for the Mehlville School District?
2. If elected, how would you balance the needs of students, teachers and constituents?
4. What are your thoughts on a potential bond issue to build an auditorium at Oakville High School?
5. What is your opinion of the current school board and administration?
Candidates
Ron Fedorchak, 45: The Mehlville school board appointed Fedorchak out of nine candidates to serve on the board after a member moved out of the district. He has been serving on the board for the last nine months and has lived in Oakville for the last 20 years. Fedorchak has three daughters in district schools and works for PJ Cobert Associates, which specializes in chromatography and lab equipment. See his responses to our Q&A
Mike Wainz, 43: Mike Wainz is a stay-at-home dad with three children, two of which currently or did attend district schools through the Special School District. A third child attends Blades Elementary School. He has lived in the district since 2000 and previously worked in the radio business and as a car salesman. See his responses to our Q&A
Kathleen Eardley, 26: With three children under the age of three, Eardley is a stay-at-home mom with one child at John Cary Early Childhood Center. She has a masters in business and in May will complete a masters in education. Eardley is a certified teacher who grew up in the Mehlville School District and attended Ursuline Academy. See her responses to our Q&A
Fred Padberg, 70: Padberg has lived in the Mehlville School District for more than 20 years and owns his own marketing and advertising firm, Padberg Graphix Design. He also owns, rents and maintains properties in St. Louis. Padberg has four children ages 37 to 45 that attended private schools. Padberg did not respond to the candidate Q&A.
In This article
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John Cary Early Childhood Center
3155 Koch Rd, Saint Louis, MO -
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Padberg Graphix
4750 Mehl Ave, Saint Louis, MO -
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Blades Elementary School
5140 Patterson Rd, Saint Louis, MO -
Mike Baker
10:40 am on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I appreciate the 3 candidates who took the time to answer and return the candidate Q & A.
Mr. Padberg, if you can't take the time to answer questions to help the voting public decide if you are worth voting for, how do we know that you will devote enough of your time to serve on the board? Do yourself and every other taxpayer in the Mehlville School District a favor and withdraw your candidacy. We need people on the board who want to be there for all of the right reasons.
Robyn Turner
9:33 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I agree with Mike. Why are you not willing to contribute answers like the other candidates? Are you "above" all of this? Its funny though, I see yard signs promoting your candidacy.....so you apparently have time and energy to go around knocking on doors. Or wait, I really have only see two. Maybe they belong to your family members?? I personally don't want someone on the School Board who cannot even answer straightforward questions. My children are far more important than that..........my votes go to Fedorchak and Wainz.
D Seidel
1:06 pm on Monday, April 2, 2012
Ron Fedorchak and Mike Wainz have had kids in the district for YEARS and they have been paying attention to what's happening, not just to their taxes, but to our children.
Ron Fedorchak and Mike Wainz - #1 and #2 on the ballot - are the most fiscally responsible of the 4 candidates AND they are Pro- Education. They want to come to the table with no hidden agendas and help make Mehlville and Oakville an outstanding community with outstanding schools!
Please share this information with friends, neighbors, and family members!
#1 & #2 on the ballot, Tuesday April 3. KIDS FIRST!
Ruth
2:48 pm on Monday, April 2, 2012
I find in difficult to believe that a mother of three children, under three years of age, will have the time to dedicate to the board of education. Ms. Eardley has ZERO EXPERIENCE as a parent with our schools (her child has only been enrolled since February AFTER she filed to run for school board), and she has not paid taxes as a homeowner (she and her husband only moved her a few months ago). Ms. Eardley is heavily funded by GOP, out-of-state-donors (what interest do they have in our schools?) and held her "wine and cheese party" (seriously?! and this was the same night as a board meeting) at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Church. This makes me question her intentions.
I question how many twenty-somethings are really on the appropriations committee for United Way. I believe Ms. Eardley is banking on her family name and political connections to win her favor. In a couple of years, when she has had some "real world experience" and time away from her family to dedicate, I would encourage her to run again. Now is not the time.
Fedorchak and Wainz are long-time residents, long-time taxpayers and long-time parents in the district. They didn't just sashay into the schools. Fedorchak can "hit the ground running" with his past experience as a board member. Wainz has ample experience with our schools as well as Special School District.
Fedorchak and Wainz - 1 & 2 on the ballot. Kids first.
Ruth
4:35 pm on Monday, April 2, 2012
Information supplied by Ms. Eardley as this is the campaign finance report she or her brother/treasurer submitted. http://mehlville-oakville.patch.com/articles/eardley-tops-campaign-contributions-from-supporters
$150 to rent the hall of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque,
$961.01 for food (wine and cheese party)
$250 to the Committee to Elect Marsha Haefner (GOP) for a fundraising event
$100 from Ronald Rinard from Westlake, Texas
$100 from Harold and Ruth Tompkins from The Villages, Florida
$100 from Vernon and Kathy Eardley, Edwardsville, Illinois
Jamey Murphy, Eardley’s relative and a legislative staff member for Sen. Jim Lembke (R-Lemay), treasures her committee
Eardley received $3,273 in monetary contributions and reported a $2,000 loan to herself, totaling $5,273.
$1,563.56 on mailers from Gateway Digital Press. This company is located in 63123. There were no companies within Mehlville community could have provided this service? So much for loyalty to the small business owners within Mehlville boundaries.