Bober Hopes to Bring Young, Fresh Ideas to Council

If he's elected next Tuesday, Michael Bober would be the youngest member sitting on council, and he believes that gives him a slight advantage to win the seat.

“I think that my age, being a little younger than other council members, will open it up to new ideas,” he said. “New ideas are always a plus.”

Keeping Florissant residents here

Bober grew up in the Dellwood area, where his mom has served as an alderwoman for more than 15 years. He said that seeing his mom in action has served as a bit of inspiration as well as showing him how to be involved in his community.

One of the key things he’s noticed with growing up in North County is the number of people who no longer live here. He said that he could only think of one or two people who continue to reside in the area.

He’s lived in Florissant for the past nine years, but he’s got hope for the growth of the community. In going door-to-door to speak with residents, he's learned how many came to own their homes.

“In Florissant, I think you get a lot of ‘I bought my house from my mom and dad,’” he said. “That’s something you would like to see happening more. It keeps young people here and keeps neighborhood growing.”

Taking care of business

If elected to the Ward 9 post, Bober said he's already got some plans that he’d like to get in place, such as getting more residents involved in the , getting more young families into Florissant and using that to spur economic development.

He’s also promised to visit each street in his ward once a year to address concerns of his residents and open up the lines of communication even further.

Bober has already gotten a bit of a jumpstart in finding out the important issues of his residents. He sent surveys to residents throughout the ward to ask what’s important to them and to get their input on possible solutions to their concerns.

He said working in customer service for 19 years—he works at Eagle Springs Golf Course as the Director of Golf Operations—has allowed him to understand the importance of being a councilman, too.

“I think people in my ward are looking for someone to represent them, can speak for them, for someone who will come to their needs as quickly as possible,” Bober said.

His job with the golf course comes with a few benefits, too.

Last year,

He his position at work will allow him to quickly return phone calls and emails from residents. If he’s unable to answer a question right away, he wants to work hard to find the right answer.

Bober said he's concerned that the problems affecting his ward seem to be affecting the rest of the city as well.

“We’re all under tight budget concerns, so we have to be conscious about that,” he said. “We have to make sure all citizens are taken care of at the same time.”