Meet the Men Who Want to be Fenton's Mayor

For the first time in 12 years, the City of Fenton will have a new mayor. Two men want the job.

Patch asked each candidate to complete a questionnaire in order to explain his candidacy in his own words. Their responses follow, presented in the order they will appear on the Apr. 2 election ballot.

First up is Alderman Paul Seemayer:

Name, Age, Address: Paul E. Seemayer, 47, 22 Elderwood Court, Fenton.

Occupation: Paramedic/Firefighter

Education: AAS – Paramedic Technology, BS Fire Service Management (May2013).

Family (spouse/children): Wife, Pam; sons Dylan, 17 and Jacob, 15; daughter Lexis, 5

Years lived in the City of Fenton: all my life

Please provide a brief summary of your background, highlighting community involvement.

• Firefighter/Paramedic for 24 years
• Flight Paramedic onboard helicopter
• Vice president of the International Association of Firefighters
• Vice president of the Meramec Valley Citizens Corps. Coalition
• Board of directors – St. Louis County Fire Academy
• Foster parent to more than 17 children – Emergency placement and medical placement  certified
• City of Fenton Board of Alderman – 2009 - Present

Reasons or running for mayor:

I was raised by my parents to make a difference in this world.  I have chosen to make a difference in my professional life as a paramedic/firefighter, in my personal life as my wife and I are foster parents and in my public life as your Alderman of Ward 1 for the last four years.  I have the education, knowledge, skills and ability to make sound decisions based upon your voices as citizens of the City of Fenton.

What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the City of Fenton?

Working to reform the tax distribution mechanism in St. Louis County will be a major focus in my administration. I would like to work with the other cities, St. Louis County and the St. Louis County Municipal League to come up with a plan that is mutually beneficial to all.  The current system for tax distribution uses a complicated formula that utilizes a city’s population as part of its calculation.  This hurts our city because of our relatively small size compared to the sales tax dollars we bring in. We need a formula where we do not lose almost 60 percent of our sales tax revenue.

How would you address the continuing uncertainty over site of the abandoned Chrysler plants?

Finding a tenant for the Chrysler property that produces a true symbiotic relationship with the city and its residents is high on my list.  We need to work with outside organizations such as St. Louis County, the RCGA, the St. Louis Economic Development Council and the newly formed St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, as well as the state of Missouri and our federal Government to find a corporation or corporations that produce real jobs that will help grow our economy. 

In what area does the City of Fenton need to improve? Are you satisfied with the way the city has been operating?

The city needs to improve its relationships with surrounding cities.  We currently do not belong to the St. Louis County Municipal League because of its support of the Sales Tax Redistribution mechanism in St. Louis County.  I understand this decision, however, we no longer have a seat at this table.  It is imperative if we want this mechanism changed that we attend these meetings so our voice can be heard. 

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

Beyond finding a suitable tenant for the Chrysler property and reforming the tax redistribution mechanism in St Louis County, I am committed to forming an anti-heroin committee.  This group will be made up of volunteers, community leaders, private organizations and local government entities.  The purpose will be to educate our children and adults to recognize the effects of heroin, so we can stop someone before they become addicted.  Many of us know someone, be it a friend, family member or neighbor that has been affected by this horrible drug.  It is my goal to eradicate heroin from the streets of Fenton.  It is much easier to educate our children and parents on the signs and symptoms of heroin, than it is to detox someone that is addicted to it.

Mike Polizzi

Name, Age, Address: Mike Polizzi; 58; 738 River Hills Drive, Fenton, 63026

Occupation: Owner/president of ABF Security

Education: BS in Business, University of Missouri, Saint Louis

Family (spouse/ children): Married to Donna Haley Polizzi for 29 years;  four children and one grandchild.

Years lived in the City of Fenton: 16

Please provide a brief summary of your background, highlighting community involvement, if applicable.

• Owner , ABF Security: 35 years
• President, Fenton Charitable Association
• Member, SSM St. Clare Advisory Board
• Member, Fenton Board of Aldermen, Ward 1: 8 years
• Past President, Fenton Chamber of Commerce; 21-year member
• Secretary, Fenton Development Association
• Member, Fenton Historical Society
• Member, Show-Me Hero Salute Committee
• Member, Jefferson Barracks Community Council
• Veteran, Saint Louis County Police Reserve Officer
• Former Volunteer, Boy Scouts of America
• Registered Troop Leader, Girl Scouts of America  

Please provide a brief summary of your reasons for running:

I am deeply invested in Fenton. My family has lived here for sixteen years. My business has been in Fenton for twenty-one years. Fenton is my home. I love the community and the people. I have the energy, the enthusiasm, the ideas, and the drive to be a successful mayor. My values have always been innovation, hard work, and opportunity. I can, as mayor, utilize these to create a prosperous future for Fenton.

What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the City of Fenton?

The biggest issue facing Fenton right now is that we are working without a strategic plan in place. I consider strategic plans to be the ‘roadmap’ for navigation of anyone in any situation. Just like we must rely on the ‘map’ to get us to our desired destination on a family road trip, we must have strategic plans in place to navigate us to our desired destination in business and in the affairs of the City of Fenton.

We need, at the start, to establish 1-, 3-, and 5-year plans to safeguard the direction that Fenton will take in the future. These plans are needed to help Fenton continue to grow, thrive, and prosper as a community.

As mayor, I would formulate committees to construct these plans. The committees would be a cross section of elected officials, staff, citizens, and members of the business community. The enactment of these committees will be a major priority at the start of my term.

How would you address the continuing uncertainty over the site of the abandoned Chrysler plants?

First of all, I would be proactive. I would not sit around and wait for developers to come to us. I would seek out developers that would be a good addition to the Fenton community, and extol the positives of them moving to our city. I will engage in conversations with federal, state, county, and local groups - again, to ensure we receive the best possibilities for Fenton.

The site needs to have a new start.

Since the demise of the two Chrysler plants, Fenton has lost $1.3 million annually from the utility taxes they paid. This, coupled with the current state sales tax redistribution formula, caused a double setback to Fenton’s revenue. We, as a city, are still fiscally solvent, but the loss of that revenue did necessitate budgetary revisions.

If elected mayor, I will work to the modification of the current formula, so that the loss of such an industrial giant in the community cannot cause another negative impact.

I believe it is important for us to form a public/ private partnership for development of the site. We must ensure that we have quality, long term, solid prospects for the site. The right development will secure Fenton’s welfare and provide a productive partnership well into the future.

In what area does the City of Fenton need to improve? Are you satisfied with the way the city has been operating?

I think the city has done a great job of budgeting and managing its finances, especially in the wake of the significant loss of $1.3 million in revenue from the former Chrysler plants. This, coupled with having to give the county about 56% of our sales tax revenues annually, have made Fenton’s leaders’ budget-saving efforts impressive.

While Fenton has the ability to institute a city property tax, the elected officials have never imposed one. Fenton’s leaders have also managed to maintain services to the city such as free trash/ recycling and residential street lights. Without the current provided services, the burden for supplying funds for these would be placed on subdivisions and, ultimately, on residents.

Fenton is one of the best-run cities in the St. Louis area. With continuous positive leadership, Fenton can surpass this and become a city that other communities will want to emulate. I will continue to safeguard the $0 Fenton city property tax, and will strive to maintain/improve services provided. I will also look for innovative improvements to the city, such as earmarking funds now for future infrastructure needs, and the formulation of strategic plans. These will provide us positive direction toward the future.

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

That is the single thing I want to do during my two-year term: to accomplish. To lead well. To serve well. To make progress and to improve the lives of the residents.  I want to leave Fenton better than I found it. And that would be quite an accomplishment, because Fenton is already a great place.

Previous stories:

Paul Seemayer: Local Boy Grows Up With Eye on Mayor's Office

Mike Polizzi: Fenton Mayoral Candidate Promises Ideas, Innovation