Election Profiles: Bruce DeGroot, Candidate for Chesterfield City Council

Biographical Information

Name, Age, Address: Bruce DeGroot

Occupation: Attorney, St. Louis Consumer Attorney Group

Education: St. Louis University '93, J.D., Law; University of South Dakota '87, B.S.

Family: Jill, Spouse; Reagan, Marquette ‘12; Cliff, Crestview; Thomas, Wildhorse

Years lived in Chesterfield: 19

Brief Background

Bruce graduated from St Louis University School of Law in 1993. He has been a practicing attorney ever since.

Bruce is married to his wife Jill and together have three children. Their daughter Reagan, is a 2012 graduate of Marquette High School. Their two boys, Cliff and Thomas, attend Crestview Middle School and Wild Horse Elementary. Bruce has coached all three of his children in numerous sports including basketball and volleyball.

Bruce and Jill are proud members of Ascension Parish where Bruce is a former lector and board member of the Ascension Athletic Association. Jill owns and runs a local small business.

Bruce has a long history of serving the City of Chesterfield and was appointed to the Planning Commission approximately 3 years ago. While on the Planning Commission he has assumed leadership roles serving as the Vice Chair and Secretary. Prior to the Planning Commission Bruce served on the Board of Variances and has also served on Chesterfield’s Drug Task Force.

Bruce served as Trustee for the Chesterfield Farms Subdivision for 2 years.

Bruce has coached his kids in all sorts of sports and is an enthusiastic sponsor of Marquette Mustang Mania, an online program dedicated to Marquette Mustang Basketball.

The DeGroots have lived in Chesterfield since 1994. They love the City of Chesterfield and know that it is a great place to live, work and raise a family. 

Reasons for Running

Why I am running is really very simple – I love living in Chesterfield.  Living here has proved to be the perfect place for my family and I to live, love, learn and grow.  From the Central Park and Amphitheater to the stunning growth in Chesterfield Valley to all our great businesses and our incredible local government, being a resident has been a privilege.   Having now served our community as a commissioner, I am excited to be able to represent our Ward more broadly.  I am simply excited about being able to do so. 

Questions:

What do you think are the biggest issues addressing the city of Chesterfield? As a member of the council, how would you address them?

For me it’s Tax reform.  Chesterfield's designation as a pool city rather than a point of sale city limits our ability to provide key public safety services.  Support for new businesses is becoming harder to provide since we send a disproportionate amount of our tax dollars to St Louis County.   As a council member I will support any effort to change that designation and use the extra money to pay for the support new businesses will need. 

In what area do you think the city of Chesterfield needs to improve? Are you satisfied with the way city government has been operating?

Chesterfield is a great place to raise a family.  That is why we are here.  It has done a tremendous job of providing arts, sports complexes and an excellent educational system for our children.  Chesterfield has been fortunate to have elected extremely competent city officials.  I would like to continue that tradition.

What role do you think city government should play in promoting economic growth?

Business is the life blood of Chesterfield.  I believe that government should be supportive of new business while maintaining our standards as a community.  Chesterfield has become known as a profitable place for businesses to conduct business.  As a result, Chesterfield can afford to take a hard line with the standards it has set.  Economic growth is key, but not at the expense of keeping our city safe and beautiful.

When considering the city's budget, what programs do you think should be prioritized? How would you decide what should be cut, if such a move was needed?

Given the increased visibility that the development of Chesterfield Valley has placed on us, public safety is of great concern for me.  As a result, I would like to see more officers on our streets and an increased focus on how to handle the traffic in our area.  This of course goes hand in hand with resolving our issues with the tax pool.  

What contributions have you made to the community and how do you see yourself using those experiences if elected?

I have served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for 2 years and currently serve as the Secretary of that Commission.  Prior, I served on the Board of Variances.  I am a practicing attorney, but most importantly, I have raised my family here since 1994.

I have coached our kids and seen kids through elementary, middle and high school (and still am doing all these things.)  I know first-hand how great Chesterfield is for families and will use my experiences to continue to make Chesterfield a great place to raise a family.

What's your favorite place to eat in Chesterfield?

Now that is a tough question.  There are so many fantastic places to eat in Chesterfield it is hard to choose.  From the Cheesecake Factory, Kriegers, Houlihans and many others, I still have to call Annie Gunn's my favorite.