Dear Neighbor,

   Welcome to our St. Charles City Web Site. St. Charles is a unique area, which has a splendid mix of old and new and is a community with hometown charm in a suburban atmosphere. We are the largest City in St. Charles County and the oldest – we will be celebrating 200 years as an incorporated City in 2009. We have tremendous history, from the site where Lewis & Clark left to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase to the first free school west of the Mississippi – the Academy of the Sacred Heart. We were the site of the first state capitol of Missouri and the federal highway system started right here in St. Charles, heading east and west to connect a continent. We live our history - and the values brought here by our ancestors – every day. We choose to reside in St. Charles or have a business here because it is a safe place to raise our children and a great place to call home. My job as Mayor is to keep it that way. I gladly take on that challenge every day.

   Many changes are occurring in St. Charles regularly, from infrastructure changes to road upgrades and repairs, from new businesses attracted to our city to well over a million visitors enjoying our hospitality each year. We pride ourselves on our past but we are always looking to the future, and we recognize the on-going challenges of providing the best city services to our community. We are ready for the challenge and debate our issues diligently. I invite you to watch the City Council meetings on Channel 20 every first and third Tuesday at 7:00 PM. You will see your government in action. Even better, come and watch our meetings live at City Hall, fourth floor, in the City Council Chambers.

   As you navigate your way around our web site, you can choose from our many resources available to our citizens and visitors to this site. Council members each have their own links too, and each writes about “happenings” in their wards. You may note that some council members take a particular stand on some issues; please note that these are their personal feelings on issues, not necessarily the views of the City as a whole.

   As you peruse our site, pay particular attention to the different departments who work for you, our citizens. Our economic development department can help you find a new site for your business and our community development department can help you with code issues. Our tourism department can fill you in on festivals. You can link up and seek information regarding our timely calendar of events and our varied (and exciting) history. And spend some time checking out the many activities sponsored by our Parks and Recreation Department. We have it all here, right in our own back yards.

   One last item of interest: I am always looking for volunteers to serve on our many boards and commissions, and if you are an interested City resident, please contact the Mayor’s Office for a list of our varied boards. I will be happy to put you to work if there is a space available on your preferred commission!

   We hope you find our web site informational, topical and enjoyable. Please contact my office if you have any questions or concerns that I can address. Welcome to our site and enjoy!

                                                     Patricia M. York, Mayor