St. Louis Mayor Ralph Echtinaw

  Happy new year, everyone! After a year as mayor I’m officially repeating myself in this space as I tell you about the only means you have of influencing your property taxes. Yes, I’m talking about the Board of Review that convenes in March to hear property owners appeal their assessments. However, if you just sit down and say “I think my taxes are too high” your request will be denied. Your first step should be to get hold of the official assessment card for your house to see what the city believes you have. If the card says you have a finished basement, and you don't. You should bring that to the assessor's attention. If the card says you have an outbuilding that was removed, bring that to the assessor's attention. These items add value to your property, and when you remove them your property’s taxable value may be adjusted downward by the Board of Review. No need to wait for March though. The assessor can make changes to your card any time of the year if you prove that ...

  The city entered somewhat uncharted territory after the retirement of longtime Economic Development Director Phil Hansen in October. Instead of hiring a full-timer to replace Hansen, City Manager Kurt Giles went with two part-time interns who, for now anyway, take over for Hansen and work 30 hours/week each. However, their positions are somewhat fluid, as Josh Leppien, 24, and Elsie Burton, 22, report directly to Giles, who may utilize them in other roles. This is good news as the city administration (not to mention residents) benefits from the inclusion of youth. Young people are more likely think outside the box, and that’s beneficial in any organization. “That’s how we’ve always done it” should never be said to justify anything, and I hope Josh and Elsie take that to heart. Elsie is a recent Michigan Technological University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in scientific and technical communication and an associate’s degree in humanities. Her skills range from marketing ...

It's November 2024, and I just came into possession of a paper I wrote for an eighth grade class in May 1973 when I was 13 years old. It’s headlined “10 day diary,” so perhaps that was the assignment (as it was obviously done for a class). At that point in my life I had been an avid reader of World War II military history, hence my decision to put myself in the position of a pilot on the Doolittle Raid. I corrected the spelling and punctuation but changed nothing else: April 17, 1942 Not much happened today, but I’m so worried about my plane I’m usually at it every 15 minutes. Checking the instruments, figuring out gas consumption. But I just keep thinking about Tojo in his fancy palace. I would give a million dollars to see the look on his face when they tell him American bombers just bombed Tokyo. April 18, 1942 I slept good last night and woke to the sound of gunfire. I ran out on deck and one of the cruisers was hammering away at a Jap boat on the horizon. I hurried right to th...

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.”   George Jean Nathan American Drama Critic St. Louis has 3,000 registered voters, and if past is prologue, at least 1,000 of them won’t cast ballots in the presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. I’m writing to them this month.   I respect your right not to vote but don’t understand your reasons. Our country is going through a rough time. This may be the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes. Do you really want to sit on the sidelines? Are you that apathetic? Do you have a pulse? One lady told me she won’t vote because she doesn’t like either candidate for president. Okay, fine. Don’t vote for president. But there are plenty of candidates seeking other offices. Why not vote for them? But her apathy is strong. My remarks fell on deaf ears. These are the people I’m trying to reach. Republican Mike Rogers faces Democrat Elissa Slotkin in a Senate race with no incumbent. That could go either way in ...

  If you subscribe to my online newspaper, the St. Louis Sentinel, you saw a Brian Buysse article about loud vehicles last month. Brian has been to three city council meetings with the same issue. Many motorcycles are too loud. Search for Brian’s name on the Sentinel site to find a 2023 article about him. I sympathize with Brian. He's a great guy. But there's only so much the city can do. I have a similar situation with loose dogs. As an avid walker I have been barked at in a threatening manner by unchained and unfenced dogs at least twice a year for the last five years. It's scary and unsettling. I know one couple who stopped walking in my neighborhood because of the dogs. How many more like them are out there? I now carry a golf club or a baseball bat on walks to protect myself. I haven't had to use it and hope I never will, as I'm sure the dog would get a few licks in, too. My problem is not with dogs but with owners who are careless enough or thoughtless enough ...