Meet Ward 4 Arnold City Council Candidate Sandra Kownacki

Patch sent all Arnold City Council candidates identical questionnaires in order to compile candidate profiles prior to the April election. Each candidate who returned the survey will be featured on the site this week alphabetically by ward.

Sandra Kownacki, 66 (Candidate for Arnold City Council - Ward 4) 

• Address: 1653 Twin Oaks Dr., Arnold, MO 
• Occupation: Retired teacher
• Education: 
  • Master’s Degree in Education/Special Education, Webster University - 1972
  • Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, Southeast Missouri State University - 1968 
  • 60 plus hours toward Ph.D., Fontbonne University, Southeast Missouri State University, Truman State University 
  • Certification in Learning Disabilities, Early Childhood Special Education, Elementary Education and Social Studies
• Family: Amy Lynn Kownacki. Amy has autism.
• Years lived in Arnold: 40-plus years
• Please provide a brief summary of your background, highlighting community involvement if applicable. I retired from the Mehlville School District after 28 years of teaching. Since that time, I have worked for the St. Louis Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities as a Parent Policy Partner. That position was cut when Governor Matt Blunt took office. I then worked as Director of Disabilities for Jefferson-Franklin County Head Start for a brief time. I also worked for the state of Missouri for First Steps as an examiner.
  • Incumbent Ward 4 councilwoman, Board of Adjustments, Police Personnel Board, Finance Committee, Parks & Recreation Board, Aging & Disabilities Board. Chairman of Liquor Board.
  • Served on many boards and committees for Fox School District
  • Elected as President of National Autism Society of America and re-elected to second term (25,000+ membership)
  • Elected to National Board of Directors, Autism Society of America
  • Elected and founding member of National Organization for Autism Research 
  • Elected Arnold Township Democratic Committeewoman since 1982
• Please provide a brief summary of your reasons for running: I am seeking re-election for the betterment of our city and its residents. I want to put an end to the wasted resources and monies. It is time for the “good old boy” network to exit. Arnold taxpayer monies have been wasted and misspent for too many years. I seek an open, honest council and mayor with transparency and solid decisions based on what is good for all Arnold citizens. Backroom deals have to stop! The council and mayor should be elected to help the citizens, not elected to further their own power, wealth or stature.

Questions: 

1. What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing Arnold? 

The biggest issues facing Arnold today are the sewer, stormwater and street problems. These are compounded by the power struggle within City government, as a lot of things are kept secretive and under wraps. There has been too much money spent on corporate welfare projects and lawsuit settlements. This money should have been spent more wisely on problems with the City’s infrastructure.

2. How do you plan to ensure the best use of taxpayer dollars? 

I plan to be open, honest and prudent when spending taxpayer money. The City makes deals with AB-InBev to pay for over $200,000 in sewer upgrades in corporate welfare while many Arnold residents, who have already paid their hook-up fees, are waiting for sewers and upgrades themselves.The million-dollar overage on the CVS project should have been made public as soon as it was discovered.

3. In what area does the Arnold need to improve? Are you satisfied with the way the city has been operating? 

Arnold City government needs to improve their openness and working relationship with the citizens. I’ve heard from many citizens, who don’t feel as if they have a voice in the direction of our city. They want their wants and needs listened to and addressed. We have enough deceit and over spending in our federal government; we should not allow the City of Arnold to duplicate those problems further.

4. Assume you win the election. What thing do you want to accomplish during your time on the council? 

I would like to see our Council meetings conducted as openly and honestly as possible. I want Arnold residents to not only be given a chance to voice their concerns, but also receive answers. In the past I have had residents tell me their questions were never answered.

5. Many in the community have expressed discourse over the manner in which the council recently has conducted business. Specifically, community members have asked councilmembers to stop "bickering" and "do the jobs they were elected to do." How to you plan to address this moving forward? 

I too have felt discourse with the dealings of the council lately.This is in the hands of the voting citizens. I believe a council should be composed of the most honest and honorable citizens,which would make a huge difference in the way City business is handled in the future. We have many good people in our City. Let’s clean up Arnold and move forward for the betterment of the people.