Politics & Government

Wynn Files for Re-election to County Council Seat

The District 4 Councilman has been working at a job in Afghanistan since accepting the position last fall.

Councilman Paul Wynn, R-District 4, has filed for re-election to the St. Charles County Council.

Wynn, of O’Fallon, currently works in a that keeps him in Afghanistan most of the time. He took that position after being laid off as a civilian employee at Scott Air Force Base.

So far no challengers to any county council incumbents have filed for the August primary. In addition to Wynn, councilmen Joe Brazil, R-District 2, and Jerry Daugherty, D-District 6, have filed for re-election.

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Through 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, Wynn was the only candidate to file for the District 4 seat.

“I was encouraged by certain people in the Republican Party," Wynn said in an interview with the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "They thought I was a strong candidate."

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The Post article quotes Daugherty saying, "It's a slap in the face to his constituents. It's not fair to the rest of the council."

Wynn participates in county council meetings via telephone, where he is able to vote in voice votes and emergency legislation.

The District 4 Councilman also told the Post Dispatch that he continues to look for a job that will enable him to stay at home.

However, Wynn told Patch that he is able to do his job as councilman by through email, telephone and the Internet.  He said he works harder at being a councilman while overseas than he does at home—including staying up in early morning hours to listen in on council meetings.

Wynn has said that Missouri is one of the few states that bans elected officials from casting votes if they are not physically present. He says the law is antiquated and contradictory.

Previously, he pointed out that state legislators are allowed to cast votes without being physically present at the state Capitol, but county and municipal elected officials cannot do the same.

After Wynn announced that he accepted the job in Afghanistan, Daugherty that would enable the council to vote members off the council if they are not “physically present” at four consecutive council meetings.

The proposal and other council members have shown no support for the measure. Daugherty is the only Democrat on the seven-member council.

However, Wynn and other council members said they do support the provision in Daugherty’s legislation that changes how they fill vacancies on the council.

 


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