Election Results: City Council Ward 4

Scott Saunders cruised to victory on Tuesday in the election for Creve Coeur’s Fourth Ward City Council seat.

Saunders, an associate professor of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology at Washington University, easily dispatched retired real estate and land developer Melvin Klearman. Among other things, Saunders is a member of Creve Coeur’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

Saunders received 65.56 percent of the vote, while Klearman nabbed 34.44 percent of the vote.

Neither candidate held an Election Day watch party. Attempts to reach Saunders on Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

Saunders previously said in an interview with patch that he brought to the table experience serving on Creve Coeur’s boards. In addition to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Saunders also served on the Creve Coeur Public Art Task Force and the city’s Traffic Committee.

“I think we have a similar set of goals, but I think I have a broader experience and exposure to issues in the city,” Saunders said.

Saunders also advocated for a downtown that included activities to “draw people in,” such as a performing arts facility and public artwork. He also said the city needed to wisely spend money wisely.

“In general, this is a city that has relatively low taxes compared to other cities and is relatively high service oriented. I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” Saunders said earlier. “I think that’s a good goal for our community to strive to maintain that.”

Klearman ran a decidedly low budget campaign, paying for all campaign expenses himself and refusing to ask for donations. He told Creve Coeur Patch in an e-mail before the results came in that he didn’t even buy yard signs, one of the most typical pieces of campaign fare.

“I relied on my messages identifying problems and offering solutions to the problems,” Klearman said.

Klearman said that he plans to stay involved regardless of the outcome, pushing what he deems to be a “Truth in Spending” plan that details how the municipality expends its resources.

“Whether or not I get elected, I am determined to fight for my "truth in spending" policy which empowers voters to hold their elected officials accountable for their actions,” Klearman said.

WARD 4

(4 of 4 precincts reporting)