Candidate Profile: Sonya Shryock

Sonya Shryock

Age: 37

Family: Married, 2 Children

Education: Some College, School of Appraisal, Real Estate School

Occupation: Real Estate Broker / Stay-at-home mom

Previous elected offices: None

Applicable experience: Owned two real estate Offices

Organizations: Wentzville Historical Society, Fund Raisers for Children in Need, School Volunteer.

CANDIDATE QUESTIONS

1. What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

Millions of our tax dollars are being sent to other cities and states, supporting other states economies and not our own. In our city, we have over 600 unemployed carpenters, that doesn't include our plumbers, painters, electricians, and others associated trades and these people will move where the jobs are. Then you have more vacant homes i.e. your property value goes down, then your crime rate goes up. Support your own city first.

2. What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

Keeping our tax dollars and jobs local to support our friends and neighbors which in turn will build its own tax revenue base.

3. What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I have to say heart: If we support our own city, we can build a strong community. If we don't, where will we be in 5-10 years, because let's face it, we have a big population who travel a long way to be able to work and still live here with gas being $4 a gallon. How much longer do you think they will be able to do that? People out of work will move to find jobs, and seniors on a fixed income between inflation and the tax increases will eventually look into living somewhere cheaper. I care about people not politics.

4. How long have you lived in Wentzville?

Going on three years.

5. What's your favorite thing about Wentzville?

The people. Most everybody is willing to lend a helping hand. Just look at how many people in our city volunteer. Coaches, friends of the parks, garden clubs, American Legion, Wentzville Community club, and many others, all volunteers. I am from Oklahoma and Wentzville people make me feel at home.

6. What is the biggest problem in Wentzville?

At this point I've got to say politics. No really, in all seriousness, we have plenty of fast food places here but you can't feed your family off those jobs so I think a serious issue facing our city's future is where is the sustainable income. We need sustainable income to keep our current population. Another issue is that Wentzville Parkway is overloaded and we need to try and push business to the downtown area. We have gone so quickly from a town of 5,000 people to 30,000 that we have outgrown even our local government.

7. What is your vision for Wentzville?

To regain a striving economic community as it once was and to repair the basic infrastructure. Let’s make sure our foundation is right before we outgrow it again and wind up with even more problems in the future.