Politics & Government

Chris Turner for Ellisville City Council, District 1

Turner is running for a seat on Ellisville's City Council in municipal elections April 2.

Patch sent all local candidates for office identical questionnaires to compile candidate profiles prior to the April election. Each candidate who returned the survey will be featured on the site in order of his or her response.

Chris Turner, Ellisville City Council District 1 Candidate

Age: 38
Address: 1218 Fairview Drive
Occupation: Physical Therapist
Education: Bachelor in Applied Science in Physical Therapy from Maryville University of St. Louis, Master of Business Administration from Webster University of St. Louis (Graduate May 2013)
Family: Kate, wife; married for over 10 years
Years lived in Ellisville: Moved and have lived in Ellisville since 2005

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

Background

As a citizen of Ellisville since 2005, I am involved within the community. I was appointed to the Ellisville Planning and Zoning Commission in 2008, serving as the secretary for the last two years. This has given me an insight to the inner workings of the Ellisville government. I am energetic and have excellent communication skills. Professionally, I have developed my leadership skills and continued my education. I have managed a number of employees and have been part of a number of successful businesses.

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

Reasons for Running

I am running for City Council to improve the accountability and transparency within our city government. The current discourse in Ellisville is concerning to me and I strive to improve the community. I feel the current city council has lost focus on the greater good of the community. There is a great amount of distrust between the City and its citizens. I have a tough hide and true commitment for public service. I am willing to accept the serious commitment of time and effort necessary to change the current environment and move Ellisville onto a successful path.

Questions

What excites you about living in Ellisville? What do you want to change?

The overall environment of Ellisville excites me. I grew up in a small town and Ellisville offers my family the best of both worlds. Ellisville has a small town atmosphere with the opportunities of a larger city. You are able to get to know everyone in your community with just a little work. The citizens reach out to help others especially in times of needs. Ellisville has the friendliest people anywhere who care about their community. Over the course of the last year, our community has become divided and the council demonstrates the existence of hostility and animosity. We need to remove this divide among the citizens and the government to move Ellisville forward. 

What are your views on the past year's recall efforts, mayor impeachment discussion and Walmart development proceedings?

The past year’s proceedings have highlighted the division within the community.  Communication needs to improve between the government and the community to help decrease this divide. Transparency within government is essential. A transparent and accountable government will act with integrity. Residents' trust will be gained as best practices are followed in governance and community relations in order to eliminate unethical or irresponsible activities. Serious accusations have been made recently in regards to the recall efforts, impeachment discussion, and the development proceedings. Misinformation has been provided by both sides of the divide, fueling the fires. The city needs to release as much information as possible to the public. Education and knowledge will decrease suspicions within the community. 

As for the mayor impeachment, the community will soon find out, whether the charges were presented for the betterment of the community or out of spite. In either case, we need to complete procedures outlined within the City Charter and hope justice will prevail. The city needs a comprehensive vision to connect the citizen, business, and government to move Ellisville forward and avoid any further embarrassing circumstances. 

Are you pro-TIF, anti-TIF or believe there are situational uses of TIF in Ellisville?

TIF has become an extremely popular development finance tool and is often debated between the public and government. TIFs need to be used as a tool to transform blighted or abandoned areas to encourage new investments from the private sector. It has been overused by many communities which have led to an outcry from the public. Cities have resorted to using the tool to steal business from each other. Governments need to get back to using this financial tool for its original purpose while considering public policy, goals and community vision as critical elements with its use. 

What do you view as Ellisville's greatest accomplishment(s) in the past five years?

Ellisville has had its difficulties over the past five years especially with the state of the economy. When you look a little closer some accomplishments have been noted. In 2009, Money magazine ranked Ellisville #25 on the annual Best Places to Live in America list. The great park system including many well-maintained trails and on-going community events has been able to be continued even with the community downturn. New businesses have been added such as CVS and Savers.  Others have made a recommitment to Ellisville such as McDonald’s with the completion of their new building. The city reviewed and updated its Comprehensive Plan, providing guidelines in regards to the overall development of the city. This plan includes the Bikeable Walkable Community Plan and Great Streets Initiative. A dog park was opened upon citizen’s initiatives in 2012. 

Assume you win the election. What single thing do you want to accomplish during your term?

The development of a sustainable economy in Ellisville is the single most important issue. We are at a turning point as we have lost a number of key businesses in recent years. A sustainable economy is a diversified economy. Sustainability includes recycling local dollars. We have got to realize that solutions lie in understanding the interconnectedness of problems, not confronting them in isolation. The next three years will determine the future of this great city. Government needs to partner with the community to move this city forward. 

_____

RELATED CONTENT:

  • Candidate Filing Closed for Spring 2013 Elections


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

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

More from Ballwin-Ellisville