“font-family: Verdana; line-height: 13px;”>Tishaura Jones has more pressing immediate matters than the race for Treasurer for the City of “font-family: Verdana; line-height: 13px;”>, which she intends to pursue; filing opens February 28 and the election is August 7, 2012. At the top of her priority list is a project President Obama has for her.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Recently, she was part of a group of black leaders identified by the White House to attend the first-ever African-American Policy in Action Leadership Summit. And she now has been selected from within that group to organize and host a mini-summit in St. Louis on the theme of education and job creation. She is shooting for late January or early February.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“The mini-summit is supposed to give ideas to the president for what he can do without passing bills using his executive powers that would affect education and job creation in our area,” Jones said.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>It is a far cry from impacting federal policy at the most senior level to serving as city Treasurer. That office would even be a step down in policy and political sizzle from her current post as state representative and assistant minority leader in the state House. But Jones sees opportunity in the office.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“The Treasurer’s office is what you make it,” she said.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Jones is running as a reform candidate with several proposed changes to the office.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“The office could be more responsible for providing small businesses with small business loan opportunities or educating the public about the dangers of predatory lending and payday loans,” she said. “It could do more community outreach and help people gain access to banking services.”
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The office could do more – and less. For one thing, she said, the Treasurer should have less say in city parking policy. She said only the Treasurer of Albany, N.Y. has the same role in city parking as does the St. Louis Treasurer.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“The primary function of the Treasurer is to be the banker for the city – period,” she said. “Parking should be part of the overall urban planning and design of the city. The Treasurer should be responsible for collecting money from meters and garages, but not setting policy for parking, meters and parking structures.”
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Jones also sees opportunity for reform in the degree of transparency exercised by the office.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“As Treasurer, I plan to use the established bid process used by other city departments,” she said. “For professional services, I’m for letting everyone know who the players are and how the process works and giving everyone a fair shot.”
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The incumbent, Larry Williams, is not expected to run for reelection after his office was mired in scandal when an employee, Fred W. Robinson, was indicted for theft and fraud in connection to a charter school.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“ Larry has done a lot for the city over his career,” she said. “However, as we look forward we see all across country there are groups of young elected officials sort of challenging the status quo.”
Jones, 39, positions herself as amply
qualified for the position. She recently served as vice president
of municipal finance at an investment bank. She holds a bachelor’s
in finance from Hampton University and a master’s in health
administration from Saint Louis University, in addition to her
legislative and leadership experience in Jefferson City.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“As assistant minority leader, I serve as ex officio member on every commitee, so I have to track all of the state’s business, not just what’s important to me,” she said.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The other announced candidates for the position are Alderman Fred Wessels and political operative Brian Wahby. Alderman Jeffrey Boyd also has said privately he will run, though he has not formally announced. Jones could have an edge as a qualified candidate who is the only woman in the race, if this is the entire slate of candidates.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“Citywide we have 11 elected position and only four are women,” she said. “That’s pretty sad.”
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>One aspect of her life as a woman is crucial to her decision to run for office in St. Louis. She is a single mother of a four-year-old son, Aden, and the grandparents (including her father, former comptroller Virvus Jones) are here.
“font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“That’s a huge part of it, being a single mom,” she said. “I still have some old-fashioned values, and I want to be home to be around him more as he grows older.”
