Money magazine spotlights city of Arnold
Arnold Mayor Mark Powell, a Democrat who’s running for state treasurer, has been flooding e-mail baskets with his alert that Money magazine has singled out the city of Arnold as “a best buy.”
Here’s from the release:
”…Powell will hold a press conference today at 3:00 p.m. at the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Rd, to discuss the August issue of MONEY magazine, which has named Arnold, Missouri among the 25 Best Affordable Cities to Live in the United States. Arnold has been recognized at the 13th position on the 2008 ranking. MONEY magazine populates the listing by compiling data ranging from; access to affordable housing, parks and recreation services, cost-of-living, schools and ambiance.
Arnold’s ranking is an indication of the successful work the city has undertaken in the last decade. The City of Arnold has successfully worked to attract new developments and revitalize older ones. It has built and brought to the city the amenities its citizen’s wanted and deserve such as the Arnold Recreation Center, the Jefferson College, the Jefferson County Library and the Pomme Creek Golf Course. In addition, Arnold’s Tourism Board brings nationally known entertainers such as George Jones, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill and Three Dog Night to perform at the Rickman Auditorium in Arnold.
The evidence of this hard work by the city over the past several years has resonated in the proclamation of this notable distinction of being ranked 13th in the nation. “I have always believed Arnold was a great city and have constantly promoted my hometown as I have traveled the state,” proclaimed Mayor Mark Powell, mayor for more than seven years. “Arnold is a wonderful place to live, filled with great people, and that is what makes it so appealing, and our hard work has now been validated and recognized by an independent nationally recognized source, MONEY magazine,” Powell went on to say.
MONEY magazine has been ranking cities for the better part of the decade. The complete article about the 2008 rankings, a history of past winners and an explanation the selection process can be found on money.cnn.com.
Old joke………
What does St. Louis and the show, “Green Acres” have in common?
They both have a pig named Arnold.
Arnold has always been a decent place, they just tended to get a bad rap/rep.
Great! The people and their leasders combined to make Arnold a great city! BUT MR Powell’s refusal to raise money may have won him the votes in a divisive primary in 04 BUT it lost him the general election. As a candidate he is totally a loser. We have Steelman medding the office that Holden & Farmer put on a productive system because of him.
Shut up and get out of the race! Powell, you are a loser! Your actions in 04 prove it!
Arnold hurt its businesses with a smoking ban back in 2004, but modified the ban before too much damage was done. Arnold Councilmen Randy Crisler and Claude Cooley traveled to St. Louis to warn St. Louis County Councilmen and Ballwin Aldermen what a dumb experiment the Arnold smoking ban had been. Wasn’t the smoking ban Mayor Powell’s idea?
The City of Arnold has developed in numerous positive ways over the past years. My first contact was in the 70’s; today, it’s beyond just a small town near the river. Opportunities for entertainment, family, learning, recreation, shopping, etc have increased.
My gratitude to the hard work of Mayor Powell and his staff!
Enough with the Arnold jokes. This city is the best kept secret in the St. Louis Region. The Jefferson County library in Arnold is one of the best in the state with a great selection of books and a wonderful children’s section. The Arnold Recreation Center is better than most water parks. They even have a municipal golf course. I don’t live in Arnold but I often go out of my way to eat there because I know the restaurant won’t be filled with smoke.
Everyone keeps saying Powell can’t win. They said that about him when he was in the Democratic Primary in ‘04 against better funded candidates. The voters chose him. They will choose him again in ‘08. With better conditions for a Democrat statewide he will win the general election too. It will be nice to have a treasurer who just wants to do a good job as treasurer instead of using the office as a stepping stone.
Arnold’s “success” has as much to do with the failures of unincorporated south st.louis county as anything else. The lack of long term planning several years ago has created a scenario where very little open space is left for development and there is no movement for redevelopment. Skyrocketing property values make very modest homes in south county extremely overpriced and young families move to jefferson county for what they consider to be a more affordable alternative. Of course the ugly issue of getting away from “them” or “those people” never hurt sprawl either. Lets not try and talk up the Fox school district or the drug problems of Arnold and the rest of jefferson county, they are what they are. Sure, housing is cheaper out there and if you’re looking to live somewhere where everyone looks alike then….Arnold is the place for you.
All Arnold jokes aside this is truly a great community to live in and worthy of Money’s designation. The city of Arnold provides a multitude of services for its residents as well as having over 400 acres of parks, a golf course owned by the city (on land that would have been developed had the city not stepped in), a new Rec Center, new Jr. college and a new first class library.
I admit my opinion is bias. As the Mayor Pro-tem I have seen this community blossom in the last several yeas. No community is perfect and there have been a few things over the years that I have been violently opposed to such as the smoking ban ( the idea of former council member Venable ) but one cannot allow a single event to permanently taint your view of a community. Fox schools are great schools and crime here is extremely low.
Arnold is a wonderful place to live and Mayor Powell Is a true leader in this community. Through his vision and hard work over the last seven years this community is not only thriving but revenues are growing in a down economy. If we had a state treasurer who could do that we would all be much better served.
Oh please, I’m getting tired of nice towns full of nice middle-class people being looked down on by holier than thou types. As someone who has lived all over the country, I find the people of Arnold to be like most people everywhere else: honest, friendly, and hardworking. In encouraging positive changes Mayor Powell has brought educational, recreational, and economic growth to Arnold. And I, for one, appreciate being able to go out to eat without being subjected to second hand smoke!Thank you Mayor Powell!
This is outstanding for the City of Arnold. Mr. Powell and the council over the past several years have put a lot of effort and hard work into getting the city ready for the future. Now, at a time when many cities are struggling, the economy in the City of Arnold is growing and jobs are being created.
While some continue to knock the Smoke Free restaurant ordinance that the City of Arnold has, it should be pointed out that it made it on the list with the ordinance in place. In my opinion, it is part of what makes Arnold such a wonderful city to be a part of. While I moved down the road with my family, my wife and I still work in the city and spend most of our money there. It is a wonderful place.
It is a shame that people such as Bill H cannot get their facts straight when talking about issues such as ARNOLD, MARK POWELL AND THE SMOKING ORDINANCE. The Smoking Ban was not his issue. It was written and put on the table by me. It has been in effect for 4 years now, this month. And what a wonderful 4 years it has been.
Dave Venable
X Arnold City Council Person.
I was raised in Arnold and have lived in several larger cities since, and Arnold ranks up there with every other major suburb. I enjoyed knowing I could go out to eat and not worry about if I had to inhale someone else’s cigarette. Have we not heard New York City restaurant’s have been smoke free since 2003? Good job to the city council for enacting this ordinance.
The city council and Mayor Powell have done an excellent job in growing the Arnold area, keep up the good work.
X Arnold City Council Person Dave Venable, I am glad you answered my question by taking full responsibility for that loss of freedom and property rights in your town. Smoking bans are kind of a loser politically in Missouri and I am glad Mayor Powell can run for office largely free from blame. Any candidate Randy Crisler endorses is likely someone I would vote for.
I think it is wonderful that the City of Arnold is being recognized. Too many people to name helped make this possible. Mark Powell has done everything he possibly can for the City. He is the only candidate that has all the credentials to make a good treasurer. As for the smoking ordinance, I too voted for it, and my wife smokes.
Jim Edwards
You are correct. Arnold is a wonderful place to live and work. It has a great deal going for it. At a time when many cities are struggling, Arnold has growth. This did not happen by accident. Mr. Powell had a plan and gathered the support to get it done.
As to the Smoking Ordinance in the City of Arnold. It was a bold move. Currently there are over twenty States with smoking bans, however, when Arnold undertook the ban four years ago this month, only six states had taken the issue on. Still, after 4 years, is working in Arnold. People said it would kill businesses, but businesses are growing. Now, the city has been recognized for the quality of the city overall. People can say what they want, but not only did the ban not kill the city, we have proof that the City of Arnold is alive and well. I am very proud of the ordinance and of the council that was willing to take this action to improve the quality of life in the City of Arnold.
St. Louisans have listened to Arnold Councilmen Randy Crisler and Claude Cooley tell a detailed story of economic hardship inflicted on Arnold businesses due to your original smoking ban, Mr. Venable. I remember Councilman Cooley, while addressing the St. Louis County Council back in August 2005 just before it voted down a smoking ban, turning to the crowd assembled and saying, “You don’t want a smoking ban!” But now that Arnold has modified the ban to once again allow smoking in bars and restaurants, I am sure many Arnold businesses are much better off.
And Arnold is Ranked 13. That is very impressive. I guess all the council did good with the Smoking Ban and the economic redevelopment. Something is going right as to draw national attention to a small town out side of St. Louis. It is about quality of life. And the quality of life in Arnold is good.
I just wonder how Money magazine determines such a ranking. Do they take into consideration commuting costs? That would make the “value” not so much of a bargain with ever-rising gasoline costs.
Of course, if a significantnumber of jobs that Arnold residents hold are also in Jeff County then this is a moot point. But, I know this is not the case.