Name: Virgal “Tyrone” Woolfolk
Age: 71
Hometown: Innsbrook
Occupation: President/CEO of VIRTEK Company
Position sought: Innsbrook Board of Trustees
Previous political experience: Village of Innsbrook Planning and Zoning Commission, 2021-2025
Why are you running and why should people vote for you?
The majority of the residents of the Village of Innsbrook, inside and outside the gate, can agree there has been a curtain of secrecy, with and among the Board of Trustees. And once the curtain was pulled back, we saw nothing was done in the best interest of the community - like with the City Hall. Doing the same things is not visionary leadership. Furthermore, avoiding the community, purposely skipping candidate forums or holding forums where questions were censored, silencing the voices of voters at Trustee Board meeting by using the Sherriff Department to intimidate with the threat of arrest and permanent trespassing to anyone that spoke against the Board's agenda is not what any candidate seeking your vote should have done or endorsed. People like that believe you’ll simply vote for them, without doing any research, rather than a vote for a candidate with a real vision.
What is the vision? The Bible says "...without a vision the people parish". I’ve laid out my vision at the last candidate forum where only the two candidates vying for the Board attended, and have done more than just put out large signs across the city, and/or threaten folks if I dont have my way. This election is about leadership I have demonstrated and progress you’ve seen, and I’ve exemplified in my service to the Village of Innsbrook being on the Planning and Zoning Board and representing the Village with the University of Missouri Extension Board for the last five years. Since announcing my candidacy for Trustee within the Village of Innsbrook, I’ve laid out my “Next Level” vision, and have had the same consistent message each time I speak— "Innsbrook Village deserves "transparency.” I’m looking forward to leading our Village to the “Next Level” on day one. I have a vision, and it is clear. I took an oath to serve this nation in and out of uniform.
What are your goals if elected?
The most pressing goals if elected Trustee will be centering on maintaining and improving aging infrastructure, ensuring public safety services are available, addressing traffic backlogs on Highway F and M, and ensuring accountability and transparency with the budget; and finally ensuring the Minutes are accurate. Somebody is going to get killed trying to enter into Innsbrook Resort off highway F if we don’t take immediate actions! Until we can implement an expansion of the roadway adjacent to the entrance to Innsbrook, I will employ MoDOT and the County to incorporate a "Smart Work Zone.” This is an automated warning system on portable warning message signs to alert high-speed motorist of slow or stopped traffic ahead in both directions. Next, I would foster a new traffic study to secure funding through the Governor's Rural Routes Program, which has invested millions of dollars to improve rural roads due to increased traffic flows during summer/holiday events Innsbrook.
Others goals include:
1) Infrastructure Sustainability: Proactive maintenance and upgrades for roads, bridges, internet, water runoff, and electrical infrastructure, including securing matching funds for federal grants.
2) Public Safety: enhancing emergency response times with fire, ambulance, police, air medical services to the Village.
3) Fiscal Responsibility & Revenue: Addressing inflationary pressures that this Board never considered, declining state/federal funding and support, and the need for new revenue sources to support essential services without raising property taxes.
4) Economic accountability and Operational Excellence: Improving city services through technology, efficiency, and transparency of records.
5) The construction of tornado warning system and tornado shelters for those residing in homes, condos or chalets that do not have basements with emergency supplies.
6) Quarterly meetings with the Innsbrook Corporation to address concerns and work together to solve community issues.
What issues are most pressing for your constituency?
Trust and Transparency by the Board
There has been a total disregard for transparency by the Board in accordance with the Sunshine Law in Missouri, which mandates that meetings, records, and votes on agenda items be open to the public and recorded accurately. The record keeping on Minutes and responding in a timely manner to Sunshine law requests have been horrific and lacking. Innsbrook has struggled, in my opinion, with meeting these standards. Much improvement must be the order of the day.
The Village lost millions in federal and State funds because the Comprehensive Plan was not updated accordingly for decades. The whole messy situation created when the nonprofit began construction of the animal shelter could have been avoided if Board Members had kept the Comprehensive Plan updated and applied for governmental funds which could have paid for water and sewer lines, bike paths and a more stable internet system.
Finally, I totally disagree with the position that Board Members have not abused the continual use of attorneys on every and all issues. I have been involved with large city governments for over 40 years in cities from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and have experience in how large municipalities governments operate using legal consultation. Here, Innsbrook Board has a consistent misuse of the attorneys. Many residents point to high fees paid to outside laws firms for “consulting services,” which this Board uses constantly either because they are not knowledgeable on subject matters or to hinder opposition to items on the agenda. Voters believe the money spent on high legal fees for every little thing could be better utilized for other public services. This heavy reliance on legal counsel has led to over-cautious decision making, and the lack and delay in responding to residents’ concerns. It is my assessment the utilization of Village attorneys hired by the Board has created tension and mistrust by the voters.
