ST. CHARLES COUNTY 鈥 An ongoing controversy over 最新杏吧原创 County Executive Sam Page鈥檚 part-time work as a physician has spilled over into neighboring St. Charles County, spurring a political squabble all its own.
At issue is a new proposal by St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann to put on the April 5 election ballot a county charter amendment prohibiting occupants of the office from doing side jobs for pay.
The move has angered state Sen. Bob Onder, a likely Ehlmann opponent in the Republican primary next August, who says it鈥檚 clearly aimed at trying to keep him out of the race.
Onder, who like Page is a physician, says he would treat the executive鈥檚 job as full time and would spend 50 hours a week or more on county work. But he said he also wants to continue to see patients on 鈥渙ccasional鈥 Saturday mornings.
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鈥淭he real issue is a county executive using his power to try to keep competition out of the race,鈥 Onder, an allergist from Lake Saint Louis, said in an interview Tuesday. 鈥淚 think his motivation is 100% clear.鈥
Onder pointed out that Ehlmann had never raised the issue before during his 15 years as executive, waiting until he is facing serious electoral competition for the office for the first time.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever seen anything as corrupt, manipulative and deceitful as this bill,鈥 Onder told the St. Charles County Council on Monday night, when the measure was introduced.
Ehlmann, in response, denied that he鈥檚 out to block Onder from the race with the measure.
He said he made his proposal in reaction to the 最新杏吧原创 County Council鈥檚 Dec. 7 vote to put a no-side-job proposal on the ballot there.
He said county executives in both counties for decades had treated their elected positions as their sole jobs 鈥 until Page.
Ehlmann, of St. Charles, added that whoever is elected executive in his county next year will be paid over $181,000 annually under a pay raise in the 2022 county budget.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 reasonable to ask the taxpayers whether they want him or her to dedicate themselves entirely to the job,鈥 Ehlmann said.
He also said the job had changed over the years, adding responsibility over the jails and county police. 鈥淲hen things go wrong ... most of the time they go wrong after hours,鈥 he said.
In 最新杏吧原创 County, the bipartisan council majority has alleged that Page鈥檚 part-time work as an anesthesiologist at Mercy Hospital violates an existing charter provision that the executive鈥檚 鈥渆ntire time鈥 shall be devoted to duties of the office.
Page has said his medical work is conducted during his 鈥渇ree time鈥 during the evening and on weekends and doesn鈥檛 interfere with his county duties.
The 最新杏吧原创 County ballot proposal calls for additional charter wording that states the executive may hold 鈥渘o other employment.鈥 Work as an independent contractor also would be explicitly prohibited.
In St. Charles County, the charter currently says the county executive cannot at any time carry on 鈥渁ny trade, occupation, business or enterprise鈥 for personal gain during 鈥渘ormal business hours鈥 of the county.
Ehlmann鈥檚 proposed charter amendment would delete the phrase 鈥渘ormal business hours鈥 and ban moonlighting for pay as well. The council, made up of all Republicans, may vote on the bill at its next meeting Jan. 10.
Onder on Saturday made known his opposition to the bill on Twitter, calling it 鈥渄isgusting and corrupt.鈥 He also referred to it as the 鈥淥nlyCareerPoliticiansNeedApply鈥 bill.
At the council meeting Monday, several people joined Onder in speaking against the measure during the 鈥減ublic comment鈥 period, among them state Rep. Tony Lovasco, R-St. Charles County.
Another critic, Katie Rash of St. Peters, asked: 鈥淗ow does this serve the public interest instead of just the incumbent? We want an answer.鈥
Two of the seven council members, Joe Brazil of Defiance and Joe Cronin of St. Paul, said they opposed the charter change.
鈥淭his bill is just complete overreach for a government,鈥 Brazil said. He complained that someone like himself, who runs a canoe business and campground, would be barred from running for executive.
Ehlmann told the council that the charter doesn鈥檛 keep the executive from owning a business. 鈥淭hey just can鈥檛 be an employee in their business; that is the intent,鈥 he said.
Council Chairman Mike Elam of Dardenne Prairie is listed as the bill鈥檚 sponsor because measures requested by the executive traditionally are introduced by the chair.
He said Tuesday he was undecided how to vote on it. He wants the wording changed to more specifically define what is prohibited. He also said he disagreed with Onder鈥檚 accusation 鈥渢hat this is corrupt.鈥
Ehlmann said he was surprised at Onder鈥檚 reaction and complained that Onder was misleading people when he said the bill went against the Founding Fathers鈥 idea of a citizen public servant.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a citizen-legislator situation; this is a full-time executive job,鈥 Ehlmann said.
Onder, who because of term limits can鈥檛 run again for the Senate, said Tuesday it is 鈥渧ery likely I will run鈥 for executive.
鈥淲hen Ehlmann filed this 鈥 it made me more likely鈥 to do so, Onder said.
Ehlmann, a former state senator and circuit judge, has been county executive since 2007 and is seeking his fifth four-year term next year. Onder has been in the Senate since 2015.
He also served two years in the Missouri House in 2007-2008, giving up the seat that year to run unsuccessfully for Congress.
