The Jefferson Review Voters Guide

Special Edition

The Jefferson Review Voters Guide is designed to help voters hear directly from the candidates seeking to represent Jefferson County. Candidate answers are published as submitted so readers can compare responses in each race.

Editor’s Note: Candidate responses are not endorsements by The Jefferson Review. Answers are provided by the candidates and are shared for voter information.

Johnathan M Sparks

Political Party Affiliation: Republican

Short Candidate Bio

I am 50 years old and have lived in Jefferson County for the past 19 years. I come from a small farm in Maries County, Vichy MO. I have served on the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Board for the past 3 years and renewed my position for another 3 years. I have worked for Mercy Hospital for the past 19 years. I have a Data Center Engineering background and helped in the construction of the Mercy Data Center in Washington MO. My current role is in Backup Recovery Engineer and Storage Administrator. I am a member of Lodge #5 Odd Fellows and member of the Imperial American Legion Post 283. I am a United State Coast Guard Veteran. My duties included Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement Boarding Team, and later Pay and Personnel role. I have always put service to others as my goal in life.

Why are you running for this office?

I ran for this position 4 years ago. I did not know much about politics but I thought that I should give it a try. I used my own money and put my name on the ballot. I did get around 17% of the vote and thought that was a good first attempt for a unknown candidate. This showed me that people wanted a choice when it comes to their candidates. I knew I would run again in the next election, but still wanted to help in the county. The former incumbent at the time, Phil Hendrickson saw my passion for wanting to be involved and suggested I apply for a position on the Planning and Zoning Board. My votes for planning and zoning are only suggestions and the real decisions are made by the County Council. I want my vote to count and not only be a suggestion going forward. I want to make sure that the dollars that are spent in our county make sense.

What experience best prepares you to serve in this role?

The years of experience on the PNZ board has given me perspective on where the county needs to be going. I understand that a good leader has to tell people what they need to hear, not always what they want to hear. While working for Mercy Hospital I have had to budget hardware for projects that can get in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have to make sure that we are using the money wisely. Out patients trust us with their medical data every day and we have to ensure that trust with technology. My background in the construction of our Mercy Data Center in Washington MO gives me a skill set for the current climate of discussion in Jefferson County on this topic. My years in the Coast Guard has given me experience in working as a team for a common goal. Everyone had their specific role and also knew how to do each others in case of an emergency. Search and Rescue has a motto: "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back." This is about courage and sacrifice not fame and glory.

What is the most important issue facing Jefferson County right now?

I believe that the most important issue facing Jefferson County is the coming of the next industrial revolution. It is not only Jefferson County on this precipice it is the entirety of the United State. I say "the coming revolution," but it is already here and being out front is the only way to will keep us on top. This involves the training of new skills and addition of new infrastructure in our county. We can try to ignore this dynamic shift in how we live but it will not ignore us! Solid infrastructure for new technology is needed in Jefferson County. This starts with a plan. Where and how these place will be located and built is key. This is a hot topic with very passionate people on both sides of the issue. I believe that education is the key to compromise when it comes to these debates. I have seen misinformation on both sides. What we really need is some solidarity these days. All working together for a positive outcome. Change is hard and can be very intimidating. Our first industrial revolution faced many of the same challenges that we see here today.

What is one specific thing you would like to accomplish during your term?

I would say my six month to a year accomplishment would be getting to know my job and being mentored by the other council members. Once that is accomplished I can move forward with issue that not only effect the citizens of my district, but the county as a whole. We have 7 districts in the county with a variety of issues. If you look at the topology of our county you can see the variation. What works for Imperial MO, will not work in DeSoto. Things that are needed in Festus are not a concern in Arnold. I want to be the best advocate for the citizens not only for my district but for the county as a whole. I want to bring trust back to the people who have voted for their representatives. I want to make sure that people are informed and educated on what is going in their county. That projects and proposals are justified not only to the county but the people who pay taxes for these projects. So in short I think I would be focused on making sure our citizens are informed and can have a voice in the decisions of the county.

How would you describe your approach to serving taxpayers?

This is going to be very short and to the point. I grew up in a very poor family on a little scrap of land in MO. I worked hard for every penny I have earned. Then to see it taxed and spent over the years. My philosophy is simple here. If it costs the county dollars it has to make sense. If it makes the county dollars it still has to make sense.

What district or countywide concerns are you hearing most often from residents?

These are things that even four years ago have been a hot button issue. The development of the county when it comes to housing. The issues with the County Court House and the Jail. People who are under housed or unhoused. Mental health services in the county. But all of those seem to be washed out by the new concerns of Hyper-scale Data Centers. Those old issue are still concerns that need to be worked on by the county. They have just been over shadowed or ignored by the Data Center debate.

How should the County Council approach zoning, land use, and development decisions?

This is also a very simple but also complex at the same time. We have a UDO, we have a New Master Plan. There are rules in place that stipulate what can be done in this county. If people have a issue with these rules we need to make sure that they are heard and that we take steps to address and correct any old outdated policies. If someone owns land and they follow the rules there should be no issues in how we make our decisions. There are clean guidelines for everyone, and everyone has to follow the same rules. If a individual or a corporation does not follow the rules then that is a problem. Everyone from a person with a acre of land to a developer with hundreds should be on a equal playing field. There should not ever be a "rules for me, but not for thee" mentality when it comes to any of these decisions.

What standards should council members use when weighing staff recommendations, public opposition, and property owner rights?

The planning staff is the first step in the process. These are people that are our boots on the ground for our county. They do this every day and have the skill set to provide comprehensive reports and recommendation. The public is also very key in decisions they are our second group of boots on the ground. They live and commute in the area of development. They provide information that just a site visit will never show on a report. But with that comes some degree of cognitive bias at times. But if they present facts to the PNZ commission the council should take those facts into consideration. As I have said before the topology and the economy of Jefferson County is varied. What works for one place in the county makes no sense in other places. Everything for every petition should be weighted on it's own merit. A property owner has rights but they do not exceed the scope of what the UDO and Chapter 400 have established. There are checks and balances for a reason. Just because you own a plot of land does not make you sovereign to the rest of the policies that are in place.

How would you approach the county budget and spending oversight?

Once again I call on my prior statement. It is about dollars and cents, but also making sense of the way these dollars are spent. If all of us have to make a keep to a monthly budget then local government has to do the same. I would focus on how these items in the budget effect everyone and not a select group of people. Costs and projects need to have well documented justification for their costs and have to stay on budget. I grew up with knowing the value of a dollar and how to use everything to the last drop. That is how I would approach things at the county level. I would also look over long term costs when it come to purchases. These are basic financial fundamentals that we all face every day. A tax and spend mentality is never sustainable. Local government, just like you and I need to spend under their income and save up for those rainy days.

What role should the council play in holding county departments accountable?

Checks and balances and audits of departments should be the standard. If not done in house then by an outside third party to audit the departments. If there are abnormalities or abuse found there should be swift and united action taken by the council if they are allowed.

How should the council balance private property rights with the concerns of nearby residents?

There are rules in place that need to be followed when it comes to property rights. The issue with balance is that you have two sides of a scale. Making sure that the scale is balanced all the time in almost a impossibility. From my experience on PNZ you will always have a larger weight either for or against a concern. All we can do is have clear and documented rules in place for all people. Each side should get a chance at the table to voice their concerns. I believe we do this currently.

Would you support stronger public notice or public explanation requirements for major land-use decisions?

I think that we provide accurate public notice but there is always room for improvement. I would suggest not only more outreach via social media but education sessions prior to the PNZ meetings and the council votes. I would like to see the members of the council attend those education sessions.

What would make you an effective representative for your district?

I am a dollars and cents type of person. I make sure that I have all the information I can before I make a decision that could effect others. I pride myself on being a quantitative and qualitative thinker. I am just a average person living in the county that wants to help. I believe that every day people can run for office and make a difference. I believe what makes a effective representative is one that listens to their citizens. One that is not afraid to tell them what that need to hear vs what they want to hear. Knowing that you can not please everyone but you can find common ground and compromise. That problems are just puzzles that need the correct pieces to be put together for a solution.

Would you support sewer and/or water service consolidation in the county? Why or Why not?

I do not have the knowledge base to make this decision for or against consolidation. The only thing that I know is that Jefferson County is very large and the topology is very extensive. This would make me believe that there are challenges for each area of Jefferson County that are unique to that region. Would consolidation make this better or worse? I do not know I would have to have more information to form a educated opinion. I would have to meet with the people who do this work. I would sit down with them and go over the challenges of why it should or should not be consolidated.

Voters Guide Notice: This candidate profile is not a paid advertisement. Candidate responses are published as part of The Jefferson Review Candidate Voter Guide and are presented in the candidate’s own words.

The opinions and statements expressed above are solely those of the candidate or campaign and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jefferson Review, its staff, sponsors, or partners. Publication of a candidate response does not constitute an endorsement.

Candidate responses were submitted through The Jefferson Review Candidate Voter Guide questionnaire. Responses are presented in the candidate’s own words and have not been rewritten by The Jefferson Review. Formatting may be adjusted for spacing, readability, or display.

Questionnaire Note: Candidates were invited to respond to the same questionnaire for this office. If a question was left blank, The Jefferson Review may mark that answer as “No response provided.”