Cape County associate commissioner Herbst to run for re-election

The first time he ran for Cape Girardeau County associate commissioner, Charlie Herbst said he promised the voters it would be "a full-time job for me."

Since he was elected in 2012, Herbst said he's kept his word. He hopes to extend that promise for another four years by running for re-election in 2016.

"I wanted to run the first time because it had always been my dream to be county commissioner, just because I love working in the community, serving the community," he said.

He already had served at the municipal level, working as a Cape Girardeau police officer from 1989 to 1999 and serving two terms on the Cape Girardeau City Council from 2002 to 2010. Herbst said he was fortunate to be elected the District 2 associate commissioner and had so many opportunities to help improve the county. A second term would allow him an opportunity to further that work.

"Running for a second term, it's just like the first time I was on the city council for that first term," he said. "It takes you two or three years to really get your feet wet and dig in and understand the process and have a lot of knowledge there."

Herbst also brought his technology experience with him. One of his first undertakings with the county was to help replace its 25-year-old phone system. It was outdated to the point replacement parts had to be procured from eBay.

Working with the county's information-technology department, he helped the county move to a more reliable digital phone system. It soon will change phone service providers, which is a cost-saving move, Herbst said.

Finding ways to cut costs have been a focus for county employees over the years. The 2014 and 2015 county budgets were nearly identical, about $11.8 million. The county also has tried to be creative with costs when it looks at larger projects.

That was the case when it bought the building at 2137 Rust Ave. in Cape Girardeau to serve as the new home for the juvenile department. For 25 years, the department operated out of two locations. The new building will unite offices, department services and court hearings.

Funds to buy the $505,000 building on Rust Avenue came from the 2011 refinancing of bonds used to build the county jail in 2002. Chief juvenile officer Randy Rhodes also applied for and received grants to help with renovations. County crews will do much of that work, which will help save money.

Securing a location for the juvenile department brought to an end a longtime county dilemma. Never before was it able to find money or an adequately sized and placed facility.

"If I had to say there was something to hang my hat on," Herbst said, it would be the work he's done with Rhodes and others to secure and renovate the juvenile facility.

"As a police officer, I worked every day with the juvenile department, and just seeing the working conditions and where they were at and having to work out of two different buildings, whether you're government or private business, it just doesn't make good business practice for people to be efficient," he said.

Another major project in which many county officials are involved, including the three commissioners, is the new courthouse. Voters approved a 1 percent use tax earlier this year that will provide funding for the eventual construction of a new courthouse in Jackson to replace an existing one built in 1908. It would offer breathing room for court employees and better security.

"I imagine that will take a year of all three of us [commissioners] working hard, maybe identifying interested citizens in the county that want to be a part of that facility design committee before we even hire an architect or while we've got an architect," Herbst said. "Continuity is huge. And making sure we've got what we need for the services for another 75 or 100 years -- that's where we're at."

Besides his work as county commissioner, Herbst recently was named treasurer for the County Commissioners Association of Missouri and is active in Boy Scouts, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Cape Noon Optimist Club.

Pertinent address:

1 Barton Square, Jackson, Mo.