Jeff Schrag to run for mayor

Last updated 12:03 p.m., Sept. 18, 2024 [Editor's note: More information has been added.]

Businessperson Jeff Schrag, who last year sold a majority stake in the brewery he founded, intends to run for mayor of Springfield.

Schrag formally announced his candidacy at a news conference this morning at Mother’s Brewing Co., the company he founded in 2011 and sold in 2023 to Jeff and Lindsay Seifried. Schrag is planning his mayoral run for the April 8, 2025, municipal election in Springfield.

"I believe that we ensure a growing, vibrant community for the next generation when we work together to focus our community around the simple concept of livability, whose key elements are public safety, solid infrastructure, efficiency and transparency," Schrag said.

Schrag said his campaign's goal of "efficiency in government" would include a deep dive into how the city works with businesses.

"Someone needing to get a permit or starting a business, are we doing everything we can do to solve problems?" Schrag said. "Is the government a problem-solving entity, where we look at things around how do we accomplish what this person, this individual, needs while respecting the needs of the whole community? If I can do anything to make things more efficient, I would consider that to be a huge success."

He said he doesn't want the municipality to be "a regulatory entity that just says yes or no."

"I don't know if it's as much a staffing issue as it is a mindset or culture issue," Schrag said.

Schrag said that if elected, he plans to serve one four-year term. He said he hasn't yet started raising funds for the campaign, but noted Mayor Ken McClure's most recent mayoral fundraising – north of $100,000, according to media reports – was a good benchmark.

Thanking McClure for his tenure as mayor, Schrag said he's unsure yet how competitive the field will be for the position.

Springfield City Council member Abe McGull, who has publicly stated he was mulling mayoral plans, this morning told Springfield Business Journal that he does not plan to run for mayor next year.

"We have elected officials currently serving and those that have served in government that would be excellent candidates. Being mayor of a city requires someone who has experience in government and consensus building," McGull said. "I will continue to serve the citizens as their elected council member."

In addition to founding Mother’s Brewing Co., Schrag maintains ownership in legal publication The Daily Events and in Pioneer Formal Accessories, which distributes items such as cufflinks, as well as various real estate holdings.

Last year, he was appointed to the Missouri State University Board of Governors. He previously served as president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc.

This morning, Schrag said his recent work on the Citizens’ Commission on Community Investment helped to spur his decision to run for mayor. That commission was charged by McClure with determining the city’s next move regarding a three-quarter- cent sales tax that is set to expire March 31, 2025.

At its Aug. 5 meeting, council members passed a bill forwarding a decision on the sales tax to voters in the Nov. 5 general election. Voters will be asked to pass a new three-quarter-cent tax, with one-quarter of a cent to continue to go toward the pension fund – now 91% funded – along with other safety initiatives, including police officer and firefighter pay, as well as projects that are consistent with the city’s Forward SGF comprehensive plan such as capital improvements, community and neighborhood initiatives, and park projects, according to past reporting.