Profile: Eureka Mayoral Candidate Lee Kropp

Mayoral candidate Lee Kropp, 43, is challenging voters to consider whether enough is being done in Eureka to enhance it as a place to live, work and raise families.

Kropp said he believes more efforts should be employed to build on the new businesses who choose to establish in Eureka, as well as to attract consumers and shoppers to the city.

Citing it's time for a change, Kropp also references several city projects that were initiated only recently.  "Projects that the current mayor has promised in all my years that I have live in Eureka.  I have seen many promises during my residency for the past 17 years.  I want better results," he said in campaign materials.

"There are some that have grown comfortable with the status quo, and may be uneasy of change. But I'm running for mayor because I care, and I want to make a difference," he said.

Kropp said many Eureka residents have talked to him about the need for a citywide water softening system, due to the area's extremely hard water supply. Eureka is the only wholly-contained municipality in St. Louis County with its own water and sewer services.

Although Kropp has no previous experience with elected positions, he was a former Eureka Chamber of Commerce president.

"I believe in civil service, and will always be available before and after elected," he said.

Kropp hosted 12 at local restaurants, starting Feb. 9 and ending on April 3.

More details about Kropp's plans can be found on his website. His e-mail address is leekropp@leekroppforMayor.com.

His comments from participating in Monday's Eureka Chamber of Commerce candidate forum can be found on .

Kropp owns Theatrical Concept, a home theater company. He and his wife have raised two children.

Regarding Kropp's financial challenges and bankruptcy, he said he has been "forthright" but that he feels publicly available documents about his finances "do not tell the real story." For example, he said his company had a lawsuit with a company that he claims delivered damaged plasma TVs. He said they lost the case because an employee did not check the boxes when they came off the truck. He said several similar instances mounted up in a given period of time to cause financial hardship as a small business owner.

Additionally, at one point, he stated when the mortgage company for his residence was taken over by a bank, they were given 14 days to come up with $100,000. "To save our home, we were told we had to file for bankruptcy," he said.

Kropp said many topics that have been rumored during this mayoral campaign were based on "half-truths." He said, "I think some of what's happened in this campaign has turned it into a class 3 mayor race, which is a shame."