CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR: 4 year term: Salary, $25,000.
Joseph L. Badaracco (Rep.) Currently President of the Board of Aldermen, formerly 16th ward alderman. Practicing attorney. His priorities for the city include initiating the strongest efforts to eliminate the drug problem; developing police-citizen rapport; improving race relations through effective neighborhood leaders; encouraging neighborhood organizations and residents to maintain housing; vigorous enforcement of the housing code; establishing high efficiency in city offices and restoring confidence in the city to attract business and investment. He favors tax rebates or other encouragement for citizens who maintain their property and more serious penalties for property owners who deliberately neglect their property and so damage their neighbors. ,
Alfonso J. Cervantes (Dem.) Currently Mayor of St. Louis. He lists his priorities for the city as crime reduction, job and job training, neighborhood rehabilitation and services with particular emphasis on housing code enforcement and new housing. He thinks tax rebates on improved property should be considered, but noted that assessments are not raised for painting, interior work, etc. He thinks it would require state legislation to provide penalties against property owners who neglect their property.
James F. Conway (Dem.) Currently State Representative, 84th District. Businessman. His priorities for the city are: Maintenance of neighborhoods by upgrading performance in the building department, improved sanitation enforcement and enforcement of the housing code: Schools and Education, school board members elected partially from districts as well as city-wide: Police, demobilize more police officers, give police higher profile with juvenile offenders, give the commissioners more control over operations: Quality of Life, develop New Town/InTown communities, reinforce viable communities: Taxes, revise repressive M&M (merchants and manufacturers) tax, push property tax relief for senior citizens, reassess property, support public schools via income tax rather than property tax. He favors tax relief to encourage maintenance in neighborhoods where housing is more than 50 years old and high priority city services to threatened areas; also strict enforcement of the housing code.
Gerald G. “Gerry” Fischer (Rep.) Businessman. He lists as his priorities for the city: To put Jesus Christ first in the administration of the city and to activate church leaders and congregations to implement all civic affairs. He favors tax rebates, loans and direct financial aid to those not financially able to improve their own property and tax assessments against owners who neglect their property. These taxes could be used to rehabilitate the neglected property.
John H. Poelker (Dem.) Currently Comptroller of the City of St. Louis. His priorities for the city include jobs, housing and crime, each requiring concerted efforts. At a secondary level, problems of health, sanitation, drug abuse should be handled by the city agencies responsible. He favors property tax relief for senior citizens and a freeze on real estate assessments on property that complies with minimum housing standards. Also penalization of persistent violators of sanitation laws and housing code ordinances
Harry M. Sarason (Rep.) Businessman. His list of priorities for the city includes Crime, High Taxes, Health, Drugs and Environment. He would like to see more Head Start and Day Care programs with mothers or fathers there. Discipline and teacher authority in schools which provide education of interest (Practical education) to children. He favors encouragement to tenants as well as property owners, and a reduction in the red tape which now dis courages home repairs,
Originally published in The Paper, March 1973.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1973_03.pdf, printed page(s) 3.
