Patrick Toohey so far is the only candidate to file to run for mayor of Brentwood in April. The deadline to file is Jan. 20. Toohey contacted 40 South News to talk about his ideas for the city, which he did at Saint Louis Bread Co. Sunday afternoon.
Toohey said there are three main areas where he’d like to see change in the city: 1) more and better branding of the Brentwood image, 2) long term planning and 3) operational and managerial practices.
City branding
“Brentwood has a great location, great highways, and that makes it a desirable place to live, but I think there a lot of hidden treasures here; first of all is the school district,” he said. “It’s a real asset, that will draw residents.”
He said the state awards the district has received could be highlighted.
“I’d like to get the message out, from city hall, how great it is. I want people out there, when they think Brentwood—great school district pops into their head,” he said. “The combination of a great school district and low taxes will draw families.”
Long term planning
He said consensus on the comprehensive plan is important.
“The key is not that my or someone else’s vision is carried forward, as much as it’s a vision with consensus. If there’s a vision most of the residents share, the officials will be elected on platforms to continue that, rather than stopping a platform.”
He said if the commercial and industrial areas are used efficiently, there should be no reason to infringe on residential areas.
He said the industrial manufacturing area could be a primary area for changes. He suggested a town square, that has been talked about, could be built in the Strassner Drive area, and mixed use and multiple story buildings could help use space more efficiently. He said if an assisted living facility were built, people would never need to leave Brentwood.
Operating procedures
He said the city has been trying to improve some of the issues of the past, but it could go another level further. An audit committee made up of residents with experience in public accounting could oversee recommendations made to the city, such as the state audit.
Comparing himself to Mayor Pat Kelly, Toohey said there are similarities in how he would run the city, but the way it would be administered would be different.
“I’m more willing to accept not getting my way if it seems more of the community is getting what it wants,” Toohey said.
See also: Toohey on ECDC, parks, bridges, Manchester Road, 7 in line for Brentwood public office 8 a.m. Tuesday
I believe that Mayor Kelly potentially waiting for the last possible moment to file for mayor candidacy is a gaming, political maneuver. Viewing the ‘gaming’ attitude implies more of the same “my way or the hi-way” lording over the wills of the residents. If B’wd is going to be restored to a cohesive, neighborly residential home City, we need more than a ‘gamer’ and the residents must be allowed more input.
re: “… if the commercial and industrial areas are used efficiently, there should be no reason to infringe on residential areas.” “If” is a very powerful word. The implication here is that IF commercial and industrial sites come to heads with residential properties, the commercial / industrial would take the lead. The battle between over commercializing B’wd has been on the front burner of many resident’s minds.
Also, I would like to know where candidate Toohey stands on merging B’wd with the City? This would be a deal breaker for me, as it is the slippery slope down to degrading B’wd, as a homey community. We will be picked apart like vultures on a carcass, our services would be less, and our money would go outside of B’wd needs to pay for the debts in other areas. A good example of this is the very poor decision to outsource our EMS to a very poorly run ECDC. Outsourcing our residential service needs is never better than having a tight grip on our independent community. We have poor service due to ECDC’s unprofessional work style and “goofy” dispatchers–we are paying more for very poor service–ECDC was a terrible decision.
Finally, disrupting the lay of the land and residential properties required to build a bridge over Manchester is not worth the small population that would be served. B’wd trail riders are not more important than the standing residents. This would be an unbalanced move, again putting special interests ahead of the community as a whole.
Kelly will slither in and file when the mood strikes him. The idea of developing Strassner Drive is great only you might want to check first with the folks who currently own the land on Strassner Drive. And finally, I’m just guessing but isn’t Brentwood housing “in demand” as things are without the need to hype the schools or anything? Gonna take more than that to beat Kelly. Just sayin…..
Our city does need to brag about our school district. It has been a long time since our city leaders have worked closely with our schools. (Maybe because their children did not attend the schools from start to finish)? Brentwood has the whole package!