10 I NEWS I November <strong>18</strong>, <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong> WEST NEWSMAGAZINE Council members question Page’s ‘moonlighting’ @WESTNEWSMAG WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM By JEFFREY BRICKER The bumps and bruises of a tough-fought campaign are over, but calls for action against St. Louis County Executive Sam Page are not. Recently multiple media outlets reported that Page has continued a limited medical practice even after being appointed as county executive earlier this year. That has led to calls for an investigation into possible county charter violations. However, Page remains defiant. “Executive Page has been moonlighting in his past career with his job as an anesthesiologist in addition to what is supposed to be a full-time position as the county executive,” council member Mark Harder (R-District 6) explained. Harder, along with fellow council member Tim Fitch (R-District 3), sent a letter to County Counselor Beth Orwick asking her “to open an investigation into the legitimacy of the claims made by the media and whether Dr. Page’s continued employment by Mercy Hospital, for any amount of time is a possible violation of the County Charter.” Fitch and Harder claim that Page told the council, at the time of his appointment, that he would “put his position as a physician at Mercy Hospital on hold” until he Tim Fitch Mark Harder left office. Page was recently elected to a four-year term. The county charter, the foundational document for the formation of county government and elected county officials, does not explicitly prohibit the county executive from holding a position outside of county employment. However, it does clearly state that the county executive “shall devote his entire time to the duties of his office.” For Harder and Fitch, this is a matter of defending the charter and making sure St. Louis County doesn’t slip back into a cycle of unchecked executive power as was the case under Steve Stenger. “This was singled out years ago (at the inception of charter) that these positions were to be full-time jobs and to have to have another job ... would distract that person’s attention from the task that he was Sam Page elected to do,” Harder said. Page hasn’t denied that he has continued a limited medical practice since becoming county executive. He told other media outlets that he “sometimes works a four-hour shift in the evenings less than once a week.” When asked about the potential issue by <strong>West</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong>, Page was blunt in his response. “As far as what the charter says, of course, I don’t agree with their interpretation,” Page said. “Their interpretation is political and it does not have legal merit at all.” Harder doesn’t see it that way and claims his call for action by the county counselor is not politically motivated. Instead, he points out that four positions under the charter have the same provisions regarding “entire time” and that he would be equally concerned if one of the other three covered officials was holding secondary employment. Page insists that he has checked with “multiple attorneys” on the potential issue and has been assured there is no conflict with the charter. When asked if he specifically consulted with Orwick, Page wouldn’t say. “There’s no legal standing to (Fitch’s and Harder’s) argument. And what I do in my personal time ... the limited medical activity I have in my personal time, does not affect my ability to take care of the residents of St. Louis County or fulfill the obligations of the charter,” Page said. While Harder said he and Fitch felt it was appropriate to go first to the county counselor, he didn’t rule out the council taking its own actions if Orwick failed to act. “If (Orwick) chooses to be partisan or if she chooses not to look at this in an open environment, then I guess we’ll have to take the necessary steps,” Harder said, adding that other potential legal avenues might include seeking the involvement of the prosecuting attorney or the Missouri attorney general’s office. As of Nov. 9, Harder said that neither he nor Fitch had received a response back from Orwick. Wildwood City Council reviews expenditures for <strong>20</strong>21 budget By CATHY LENNY At the work session Oct. 26, the Wildwood City Council discussed operating and capital improvement expenditures for the <strong>20</strong>21 budget. Revenues were discussed at a prior work session. The public hearing on the proposed <strong>20</strong>21 budget, and the first reading of the related ordinance, will occur at the Nov. 23 council meeting. Mayor Jim Bowlin said he worked with Interim City Administrator Steve Cross and Finance Officer Dawn Kaiser to present a balanced budget; however, there was a significant decrease in revenue across all line items, including sales taxes, utility taxes, and fines and penalties, largely due to COVID-19. “Obviously, given the decrease in revenues, we had to make some tough choices,” Bowlin said. “The revenue side of the equation, which we have looked at exhaustively, we do not think can be increased realistically to accommodate anything further. The only options would be to take money from another program or dip into reserves.” Cross said he met with standing committees and got their approval on department budgets, except for the Administration/ Public Works Committee, which had additional requests. Council member Joe Garritano (Ward 8) brought those requests before the council. The first was to add $125,000 to the capital improvement budget for the Watershed Erosion Task Force. Council member Ken Remy (Ward 3) said there are projects that affect the infrastructure that are at risk from erosion and flooding and that $125,000 was a compromise from the original $500,000 that was in the budget. He noted that Dr. David Hammer has identified <strong>20</strong> locations at risk and another recently hired consultant has plans to develop a stormwater map and flood management plan. But not all council members were on board with the request. “I’m very hesitant to approve setting aside funds with no known usage plan project,” said council member Katie Dodwell (Ward 4) “We’re just kind of tossing some money in a pot.” Remy pointed out that the amount of damage from erosion in the city right now is about $30 million. Council member Larry Brost (Ward 1) “Everything cannot just wait another year.” – Council member Lauren Edens, on the need for interim infastructure funding said he doesn’t see the need to have a balanced budget, as the city has substantial reserves. He suggested that the council needs to come up with a list for specific projects that need to be addressed, with erosion on that list. “There’s more money for parks than for people losing their backyards,” Brost said. “We need a list with risks to the city and get the budget aligned with it. High-speed internet has only become more important and we’re spending less money. We don’t have a plan for a lot of things, that doesn’t mean we’re going to waste the money.” The mayor noted that several items are included in the <strong>20</strong>24 vision plan. “When I’m presented with the situation that has curbed revenue substantially, I’m just going to take the more conservative approach,” Bowlin said. Brost responded, “The most significant issues facing the city are the ones we should address first. We’ve got a lot of momentum there and we just threw it out the window.” With the tremendous amount of uncertainty right now, council member Dave Bertolino (Ward 5) believes the city should approve a balanced budget first, and then make a priority list so that if money is available, the council knows exactly where to spend it. Garritano believes that capital improvements are an investment in the community. “It would be great if we could put some seed money into this,” he said. “I believe the effort will start to get some true traction once we give it some seed money.” See WILDWOOD BUDGET, page 21
Now on view Free, but tickets are required and are limited. For information and safety protocols, visit slam.org. Through transformative moments in its history, German artists produced insightful and thought-provoking images that continue to have a lasting impact. Organized chronologically, Storm of Progress explores key events and ideas through the lens of our exceptional collection, highlighting German art from Romanticism to the fall of the Berlin Wall while drawing connections across time. #STLArtMuseum #StormofProgress Organized by the Saint Louis Art Museum with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German (active Switzerland), <strong>18</strong>80–1938; View from the Window (detail), 1914; oil on canvas; 47 1/2 x 35 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 902:1983
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