As a leader of the Advance St. Louis reform movement, Daniel Schesch pushed a set of charter amendments four years ago that would have eliminated many of the city’s elected positions.

But the measures fared poorly at the polls, and now Schesch is trying to change the system from within.

Schesh, 63, is challenging city Treasurer Larry C. Williams - a political stalwart and the city’s ex officio parking czar - in the August Democratic primary.

The 2004 ballot measures galvanized some unlikely allies, most of whom would have stood to lose power had the proposals been approved. For instance, the treasurer’s office - whose duties include fiduciary obligations and supervising the city’s parking operations - would have been folded into a “finance department” controlled by the mayor.

Schesh lives near Forest Park and was a member of the St. Louis School Board in the 1980s. In running against Williams, he faces one of the city’s longest-tenured elected officials. Williams was appointed by Mayor Vince Schomehl in 1981 to serve the unexpired term of the late Paul Berra, who jumped to comptroller.

More than 25 years later, Williams is seeking his seventh full term. As a politician, Williams has been able to stay in power for so long, in part, by keeping a foot in two worlds - his downtown parking garages have helped ingratiate him to the business community, while his deep well of patronage jobs have kept him popular at City Hall.

Williams, though, has a liability - he might not have been planning for opposition. According to the most recent Ethics Commission filing, he has only about $1,500 in his campaign committee.

If Williams wants to keep his long run as city treasurer, it couldn’t hurt to add to his own bank account first.  

Williams: Veteran treasurer faces challenger