Mayor Stephen Thompson seems to love the spotlight smiling for cameras, posing with patrons, shaking hands at local businesses, and playing the part of Cottleville’s mayor.
But in our opinion, he’s in way over his head.
The more that residents watch City Hall, the harder it is to see a mayor focused on governing. What we see is someone who appears to enjoy the title, the attention, and the image but not the responsibility that comes with the job.
Being mayor is not a photo shoot. It requires leadership, accountability, competence, and the backbone to control your own board.
So far, Mayor Thompson has shown little of any of that.
The August 19, 2026, Board of Aldermen meeting makes the problem impossible to ignore. Especially when it comes to having the respect from Alderman Kreckeler who was told to limit his comments by the Mayor but started on his bandwagon of excessive noise and totally ignored the Mayor who is suppose to be in charge . Remember he is the one who has no problem harassing business owners . But get this .
THE CITY’S OWN POLICE NUMBERS DESTROY THE “NOISE CRISIS” NARRATIVE.
According to the official minutes, Lt. Jon Araujo reported:
2025: 13 calls received. And ZERO readings above the legal decibel limit.
2026: 15 calls received. ONLY ONE reading above the legal limit
The minutes also note that some calls came from the same complainants or locations. Guess who made the most complaints . That’s 28 calls across two reported years and one documented reading above the legal limit.
Yet city officials like Alderman Elizabeth Holt and Mike Krekeler are acting as if Cottleville is under siege from outdoor music. There is probably 4000 people living in a 1 mile radius of Frankie Martin’s Garden and we have one instance where a police officer measured noise level above what is currently allowed . Unbelievable .
Where is the emergency? Where is the evidence?
THEN THERE’S ALDERMAN MIKE KREKELER’S CONTRADICTION.
Krekeler argued that venue noise levels needed to come down.
But when Bill 26-044 came up, he seconded an unsuccessful amendment to reduce the proposed monitoring requirement to one mounted device. Then he voted to remove the three-device requirement altogether.
So the alderman demanding lower noise levels also voted to remove a proposed monitoring requirement?
He didn’t vote against the entire ordinance but the contradiction is obvious. If this is supposedly a serious problem, why is the board dismantling the very tools meant to measure it?
And who is supposed to bring order, consistency, and direction to this mess?
The mayor. Guess who isn’t, the Mayor
MAYOR THOMPSON: WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU LEADING?
In our opinion, Thompson looks less like a mayor in command and more like a man wearing a title he hasn’t figured out how to perform.
We see the pictures. We see the handshakes. We see the public appearances.
What we don’t see is leadership.
We don’t see a mayor demanding facts, challenging weak arguments, holding aldermen accountable, or explaining why businesses should face more restrictions when the city’s own police data shows almost no confirmed violations.
Instead, we see confusion, mixed messages, and political theater while the mayor appears content to stand on the sidelines and let the board stumble through it.
That isn’t leadership. That’s absentee management with a camera ready smile.
COTTLEVILLE BUSINESSES DESERVE BETTER.
Frankie Martin’s Garden and other outdoor venues like the Cottleville Wine Seller bring visitors, jobs, customers, and economic activity to Cottleville.
They’re good enough for the mayor’s promotional pictures. But when they need fair, evidence-based leadership, where is he?
Legitimate noise complaints deserve attention. But complaints are not violations, and personal frustration is not a substitute for enforcement data.
A mayor with competence would know the difference.
A TITLE DOESN’T MAKE YOU A LEADER.
In our opinion, Mayor Thompson appears more interested in pretending to be mayor than actually doing the work of being one.
Indian born Mayor Stephen Manoj Thompson seems overwhelmed, disconnected from the issues, and unable or unwilling to provide meaningful direction. He acts like he doesn’t understand English .
Cottleville doesn’t need a ceremonial figurehead who shows up for ribbon cuttings while the city’s real problems are handled through confusion and political theater.
It needs someone who understands municipal government, can lead the board, and will stand behind local businesses when the facts support them.
Mayor Thompson, the title is easy. The job is not.
And right now, in our opinion, you’re failing at the job while enjoying the image.
READ THE MINUTES. LOOK AT THE POLICE NUMBERS. FOLLOW THE VOTES. THEN ASK WHETHER THIS IS THE LEADERSHIP COTTLEVILLE DESERVES.
Source: City of Cottleville, August 19, 2026, Board of Aldermen Revised Draft Minutes.
https://www.cityofcottleville.
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