Council Member Troy Pieper 'Excited' for New Ellisville Walmart Development

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.

Troy Pieper, Ellisville City Council District 2 Candidate (Incumbent for Re-Election)

Age: 49
Address: 734 Ridgewoods Manor Drive
Occupation: State Farm Agent
Education: BA in Management and Marketing
Family: Wife: Stephanie; two daughters: Leslie and Alicia, both attend Eureka High School
Years lived in Ellisville: 13

Background

I have been serving the citizens of Ellisville since 2005. I served five years on the Ellisville Planning and Zoning Commission and was elected to the Ellisville City Council in 2010. Over the past eight years, I have gained experience and insight into city government. I have been both an Ellisville resident, serving as a trustee of my subdivision for the past nine years, and a successful Ellisville business owner for the past 13 years. Using personal resources, I have attended the International Council of Shopping Centers to try and bring business to Ellisville and will continue to use whatever resources I can to help Ellisville.

Reasons for Running

As a business owner, I understand the importance of revenue and the need to bring businesses back to Ellisville. This is especially important as Ellisville must have sales tax to survive. Businesses feed off of each other, and we must jump start our business development. Without bringing in new businesses, the southwest corner of Manchester and Clarkson will continue to deteriorate. I want Ellisville to be a destination, not a pass thru with increasingly vacant properties and dilapidated buildings.

Questions

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

Some of the greatest things about Ellisville are all of the services and amenities the city is able to provide. Ellisville has a highly accredited police force, a new community aquatic center and many parks and trails. During the winter months, having our city plow our streets in such a timely manner provides both safety and convenience to its residents. I look forward to the future possibility of a trail system linked with surrounding cities enabling residents the ability to bike from city to city. I look forward each year to attending The Concerts in The Park and the 4th of July fireworks. I am excited that the new Sansone development will help enable the city to continue to provide these services and amenities along with the continued needed and delayed repairs of streets and sidewalks and other infrastructure. It will also continue to help with the Great Streets Initiative which is designed to improve the Manchester Road Corridor, its traffic conditions and its overall appearance. 

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

My goal has always been to do my best to remain impartial and not allow my personal views to get in the way of doing what is right for the City of Ellisville and all of its residents.  I believe that the main concern should be whether all efforts and proceedings were done properly according to any laws or ordinances that may apply.

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

The southwest corner of Manchester and Clarkson continues to deteriorate, and businesses are continuing to move out of Ellisville. This trend needs to be reversed!  

I am not a huge proponent of Wal-Mart or TIF, but feel sometimes we must make a choice and use the tools that are available to help our city. Keep in mind the TIF will only be funded by the consumers who purchase a product from Walmart, regardless of where that consumer lives.  Yet, only Ellisville and taxing jurisdictions such as the Rockwood School District and the Fire District will benefit. The council and the city have a responsibility to all of our residents to do what is in their best interest and bring in the much needed revenue, not only now, but many years into the future. This is a must to be able to continue to provide the current services and amenities for the residents. I feel it is necessary and appropriate to utilize the potentially highest revenue generating corner of our city and not take the chance of the corner staying vacant and an eyesore for the next 6 to 10 years.  

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

The greatest accomplishment would have to be the city’s ability to continue to provide all of the services and amenities to our residents over the last five years.  Throughout the economic downturn and with many small businesses and major businesses like Gordman’s and Best Buy moving out, the city’s revenue has been reduced significantly. By reducing the budget, delaying the purchase of major items like police and maintenance vehicles and a much needed brush grinder, and postponing the replacement of some streets and sidewalks and other infrastructure, the city has been able to continue to provide, without interruption, the many services and amenities our residents need and appreciate. 

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

It is essential that we increase the revenue in our city. The main component of this for Ellisville is the revenue from sales tax. My goal would be to focus on making our town more attractive to businesses and to draw those businesses to our city and to fill our vacant properties. I plan to continue to work with the Great Streets Initiative in order to help improve the Manchester Road Corridor, its traffic conditions and its overall appearance.  In doing so, I believe Ellisville will be an even better place to live and to raise a family.

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