Ste. Genevieve Board Of Aldermen Takes No Action On Relaxing Residency

Bills that would have lifted the requirement for Ste. Genevieve city administrators and police chiefs to reside within the city limits both died for lack of seconds on the original motion during last Thursday night’s Board of Aldermen meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, public comments on the subject lasted more than half an hour. Seven different citizens spoke, four of them coming to the podium to speak twice. During that time, Mayor Paul Hassler also weighed in on the topic.

Opinions on both sides of the issue were expressed.

Martha Resinger, long-time Ste. Genevieve R-II School District board member and former alderwoman, spoke in favor of a proposal to allow county residents to occupy the positions.

One candidate for the position — city employee and school board president David Bova, a Ste. Genevieve High School alum — recently moved from the city to the county.

“Ste. Genevieve is not the same as it was years ago,” Resinger said. “We’re coming forward, and it’s amazing. I truly believe that … when you have somebody that has lived in the community all their life, has been a part of the community, has graduated, whatever, that has worked super hard in this town, you have somebody who really cares about this town. … I don’t mean living on the north other end of Bloomsdale or all the way down, near Perryville; that’s a bit far.

“I just think we need to really think about who we bring in. They’re going to be working with the community; they’re going to be working with people on the park board, everybody.”

She urged the aldermen to “vote your heart.”

She added that “We have something going good; we need somebody who will continue” that progress.

Resinger said several people had asked her to express those opinions.

Karen Stuppy voiced her concerns about amending the ordinance.

“These are two very distinguished positions,” she said, “and I feel these ordinances should not be amended to allow the chief of police or the city administrator to live outside the city limit. I personally feel it’s an insult to me and every city taxpayer in this  room and outside of this building. Their salaries are being paid by the city taxpayers, not the county taxpayers.”

See complete story in the March 4 edition of the Herald.