Cusick, Soudah, Hendrix Win University City Races

UNIVERSITY CITY, MO — Tim Cusick has won the race for city council in University City's second ward with 51 percent of the vote. Joanne Soudah won a seat on the University City school board with 39 percent of the vote. Kristine Hendrix also won a school board seat with 35 percent of the vote.

One hundred percent of the vote has been counted in both races, but tonight's results are still unofficial. They will be certified within two weeks by the St. Louis County Board of Elections.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. this morning. As of 7:00 p.m., when the polls closed, 2,280 votes had been cast at polls across U-City, according to the St. Louis County Board of Elections. That's about 10 percent of registered voters. Countywide turnout came in at about 13.4 percent.

A number of candidates are facing off for University City School Board, including Matt Bellows, an insurance risk analyst; Kristine Hendrix, the board's current secretary; Joanne Soudah, a retired teacher who currently serves as the board's vice president; and Patricia Washington, who owns a public relations firm and previously served as press secretary to former St. Louis Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. and communications director for former St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. A fifth candidate, Romero Sumpter, did not respond to Patch or any other media outlet.

In Ward 2, the city's only contested city council race, Tim Cusick is facing off against Jerrold Tiers.

Cusick, who manages a St. Louis crematory, previously ran twice as a Democrat for the Missouri statehouse. Transparency in government and Washington University's property tax exemption are his signature issues."Washington University is the largest landowner in University City," he told the South County Times. "By all accounts, the approximate 150 properties they own, they pay no property taxes. Yet they depend upon the services that University City provides. All University City residents pay for these services through their property taxes. We need to begin challenging conversations with Washington University concerning this imbalance. We must start putting our taxpayers and our city's interests first."

Tiers, a retired electrical engineer, wants to improve the city's schools and has said a declining tax base is to blame for much of the city's woes.

"The primary issue is the perennial lack of money that hampers the city. The tax base is shrinking, leaving fewer people and businesses to shoulder the tax burden for the city," Tiers told the South County Times. "For too long, economic development has been talked about, but far too little has been actually done. We need to make sure the welcome mat is out for businesses, to encourage them to locate in University City, and to help them succeed. The main focus of this should be Olive Boulevard, but not to the exclusion of other areas."

Cusick and Tiers participated in a candidate forum March 28.

Councilmember Terry Crow is running unopposed for mayor, an office currently held by Shelley Welsch, who is not seeking reelection. Councilmember Steve McMahon is running unopposed for reelection in the first ward. And former University City School Board president Stacy Clay is running unopposed for a seat in the third ward, after incumbent Rod Jennings dropped out of the race to head a north county gun violence center.

Seats held by councilmembers Paulette Carr and Bwayne Smotherson will not be up for election for another two years.

For more information on your local races, check out the League of Women Voters' personalized election guide at vote411.org.

U-City resident Thalia Sass, home on break from grad school in Boston, took the time to vote this morning:

This story will be updated. Check back for updates.