Power Profile: Mayor James W. McGee, Vinita Park

James McGee is community-focused.

“I like to see the future come alive. You can’t keep doing the same thing to get different results. You have to do something different to get a different result,” he said.

In his decade as mayor of Vinita Park, MO McGee has tapped into his diverse background – from GM to the police force – in his goal to improve the community. He has implemented numerous programs including planting trees, breakfast with Santa, senior citizen and youth programs, and more. He has also focused on housing, education, economic development, employment, and the police force.

McGee’s passion for helping his community is evident. He recalled one constituent he met when he was first running for office who was going to school and had a lot of back pain from sleeping on the floor. A truckload of donated mattresses made a big impact, he noted.

“It takes all of us to build our community, to move our community forward,” McGee said. In his time as mayor, he has learned that you can’t help everybody. “You can try but they have to learn to help themselves.”

McGee believes that being proactive is the key to moving his community forward. One of the facets in this endeavor is a new electric vehicle (EV) ordinance for Vinita Park. New construction projects in town will include wiring for EV charging stations. This ordinance will help the city prepare for the growing demand for EVs, or “the wave of the future,” as McGee calls it. He noted the federal government has plans to stop purchasing gasoline-powered vehicles, so charging stations will be essential as more people buy EVs.

“We are just looking to the future,” McGee said.

McGee applies the same proactive logic to Ameren’s Smart Energy Plan. He noted the plan is vitally important because it focuses on the future and communities can see the results.

“Why not be proactive? That is going to impact your community, your state – really everybody,” McGee said, adding that part of being a leader is helping shape a better future. “I’m just glad to be out here trying to make a change in people’s lives. If we work together, we can build stronger communities. If we work together, we can engage families. Together we can have success.”