Q&A with Charlie Dooley, County executive, St. Louis County
St. Louis Business Journal
December 31, 2010
How is the county poised to emerge from the recession?
The fact that St. Louis County maintains an AAA bond rating is much more than campaign rhetoric. This coveted bond rating is an acknowledgement that St. Louis County is a good investment for small and large businesses. Certainly the recession has slowed the rate of economic growth across the entire country. St. Louis County, however, is poised to recover due to its financial stability and the growth rate it has managed to maintain throughout the recession.
St. Louis County, unlike many local jurisdictions around the state and around the country, will emerge strong and secure as we enter the second decade of the 21st century.
If you have to trim the county's budget, do you plan to cut services?
St. Louis County has been in the business of trimming its budget for the last several years. There is not one penny in our upcoming budget that is not earmarked for employee salaries or critical county services. There is no plan to give St. Louis County employees a raise this year, and there is no plan to cut services. The budgetary planning that my administration has engaged in has kept the budget balanced with no cuts in service delivery.
Which industries will be key to helping the county grow?
Emerging technologies that are proven job creators are the technologies that will help St. Louis County grow. This is a dual enterprise because it requires the development of infrastructure to support an emerging technology-driven economy. Construction will, therefore, go hand in hand with the growth of businesses themselves, thereby adding to the number of jobs in many areas of construction and building maintenance.
High-growth companies will capitalize on public support from government entities like St. Louis County, and from our many university research bases, which act as a catalyst for economic progress for all types of startup businesses. Startup businesses in technological fields that are currently emerging, such as telecommunications, plant- and life-science technologies, and certainly medical technologies will flourish in this region because of the partnerships forged not only by St. Louis County government, but the newly accredited St. Louis County Economic Council.
How can the county stimulate the region's economy?
Growing the region's economy means supporting the excellent and constant work being done by our businesses, both small and large, our extraordinary work force, our academic institutions, which are held in high repute across the country, and the political jurisdictions that govern us locally. The best way the county can stimulate the economy is to continue to support its own county economic council, and to continue to provide the high levels of service that have brought accreditation to our health department, our justice service center, our economic council and our police department.
We are an award-winning government here in St. Louis County, and that is a stimulant factor. The county, through excellence in management, will continue to motivate the citizenry and improve the quality of life for everyone by delivering well-maintained roads, clean parks, critical health services and enhancing a police department that holds the highest distinction. In short, the county, by doing its job well, builds a good solid reputation for our residents to be proud of and further attracts those who may want to relocate to our region.
How is the county addressing unemployment?
By maintaining a balanced budget, St. Louis County has not had to lay off one single person. We have worked tirelessly to keep St. Louis County government strong and vibrant, and functioning at full capacity. Beyond county government, the quest to create jobs and lower the current unemployment rate is my No. 1 priority.
This is done by ensuring that our business enterprise centers are thriving, by supporting BOOST loans, by ensuring that our Workforce Investment Board is doing everything possible to support job-training efforts, by supporting the Metropolitan Education and Training Center, where funding is providing meaningful training and jobs in green emergent technologies, and by taking every opportunity to foster excellence so that small businesses and corporations expand their work force right here in St. Louis County.
What development will be the most important in terms of creating jobs?
I would say that a regional approach to development is actually most important to job creation. That macro view of our region has led us to work for development in all sectors of our region, from NARA in North County to River City Casino in South County. It is a comprehensive approach to development that creates jobs in more neighborhoods across our county than any local approach could provide. Casting a wide net helps our neighborhoods, which is attractive to developers also. Good, sound development at all levels needs incentive and creative financial packages that allow growth in all areas. St. Louis County government is about supporting development everywhere that it is feasible in our region.
What parts of the county are poised to be the next hot spots for development?
NorthPark will emerge as a thriving industrial park. There are, scattered throughout the entire county, areas where expansion is occurring on large and small scales. Rather than list them here, I invite you to read about them and view them at www.slcec.com. I'm proud to say that businesses are recovering, expanding and growing throughout St. Louis County.
Where should the next Metrolink expansion be?
The expansion of MetroLink is in the hands of the citizens of this region. They will determine the route they want through their citizen input.
What does the regional China hub proposal mean to the county?
Quite simply, this could be the kind of game-changer that will position us and this entire region to become not only the economic engine of the state, but an economic engine for the country.
How would privatizing the airport affect the county?
There are many regional approaches to airport governance; privatization is only one, and in many respects it remains untested. I agree with the prevailing wisdom that says there is no one formula that dictates the best governance structure. Our region, with its many forms of municipal governance, may not be conducive to the privatization of Lambert Airport. I do agree with those who say that the best method for choosing is to rely on records of success and good judgment. The question, at this point, is hypothetical, but it bears our considerations as we continue to look for alternative management structures that offer cheaper, better, more efficient ways of operations.
How would a city-county merger affect the region's economy?
There are no current plans for a city-county merger, so there is no way of knowing how the region would be affected by such a union. In the short term, there are ways for the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County to consider sharing services that would culminate in increased efficiencies for the entire populace. The concept of shared services among political jurisdictions is an area that will be studied in the years to come. If it proves to be cost-effective, then there will be a positive effect on the region's economy if the citizens choose to implement such an arrangement.
What are some other positives for the county heading into 2011?
An AAA-rated county offers many positive outcomes, because I can guarantee that such a highly rated entity such as county government strives for excellence. I look forward to improving our entire communications plan for St. Louis County government, enhancing our code of ethics, providing excellent health care at our new health center, improving upon our customer service pledge, increasing efficiency at all levels of government and creating as many jobs as possible. Positives boil down to doing our job better and working to ensure that others get meaningful jobs.
