This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Answer and Thoughts on Incorporation of Oakville

The questions asked on the Patch led me to draft something much more than I thought would fit in the “Comments” section, so I decided to blog my comments and thoughts.  Please remember, these are my thoughts, and my thoughts alone.  I do not speak for Rep. Haefner.  I speak for myself as a resident and business owner in the community. 

1.    What are Oakville's boundaries? These boundaries would be approved by a vote of Oakville's residents.

a.       There are a lot of options here, but the most simple would be to use the natural boundaries that have been created for us, which would be the Mississippi, 270, and 55 highway.  The other alternative would be going as far as Lindberg and going out past Costco and Target to get the tax revenue, and those boundaries would also cover the mall.  There is a lot to think about, and we would need to look more at what would be best for Oakville.

Find out what's happening in Mehlville-Oakvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

2.    Who would run the city? Would Oakville voters elect a mayor? A board of trustees? Aldermen? And most importantly, how much would these positions be paid? How full- or part-time would they be?

a.      We would likely need a mayor and a city council, and they would need to be elected to ensure the people are represented.  I think we would need to look at other successful incorporated cities to see how they did it, as well as get a baseline as far as how these positions would be paid. 

Find out what's happening in Mehlville-Oakvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

3.      How would Oakville hire staff, like a city manager, who handles the day-to-day tasks of the city, especially as elected officials transition in and out?

a.      I think that would fall into the category of the mayor and city council, but again, we would need to look at how successful cities were able to come up with the solution.

4.      How would Oakville police the city? Would Oakville have its own police force? Would they contract with the county police?

a.      The simplest thing to do on the onset would be to contract with St. Louis County Police until we figure out what we want to do, and if it makes financial sense to invest in our own police department.

5.      And the most important question: Where will the money come from? Does Oakville have enough shopping to support a tax base for the city to operate on? Or is Oakville a bedroom community with local taxes? 

a.      While a lot does depend on the boundaries, there are plenty of successful “bedroom communities” around that are able to afford everything without large shopping hubs.  Again, we would need to see what other cities have been successful with, and then mirror their successful programs.

The real questions are: Do we want to have more of a say what happens in and to Oakville moving forward, or do we want to trust those in Clayton, and eventually the City, to decide what is best for us?  Do we want to have more say and control how our tax dollars are used? 

There likely will be a small tax increase (something we all hate), but when weighing that against us actually having a say and control of those dollars, I think that incorporation is not just a good idea, but is the only option that will ensure that Oakville remains a community that we want to live in.   

On Monday, those in power almost completely ignored the residents of Oakville, with the exception of a single voice on the Zoning and Planning Commission that understands what “due process” is, and recognizes that we were denied that.   This Commission, appointed by County Executive Dooley, has repeatedly told us that the National Church Residence Project fits in our community and that we will like it.  They have held fast in that position, despite the fact that “symbolic” vote was almost 100 to 1 against the project (when you take out those employed by NCR that raised their hands, or even if we just looked at the residents of Oakville).  That was a clear message to all of us in unincorporated St. Louis: You Do Not Matter. 

If we want to have a voice in how our community is treated in the future, then we need to incorporate.   I know that we will not agree on all issues, but being able to be heard and represented is something that we need if we want to ensure that Oakville remains the place it is, and evolves into a place where we want our future generations to live. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Mehlville-Oakville