Theodore Hoskins information

Theodore Hoskins (born June 15, 1938), also referred to as Ted Hoskins, is an American politician with the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and has been mayor of Berkeley, Missouri^[1] since his election in 2012.^[2] Hoskins was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Berkeley, Missouri. He served in the United States Air Force from 1956 to 1961, and left with an honorable discharge. He received education in business administration at Florissant Valley Community College, where he obtained an associate's degree, and at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is married with three children, and resides in Berkeley, Missouri. Hoskins has worked in a financial capacity with Bi-State Development Agency, and is owner and CEO of T & L Automated Accounting Services.

Hoskins was elected a Berkeley City Councilman in 1985, representing the 3rd Ward of Berkeley, Missouri. He was reelected to the Berkeley City Council in 1986, 1990 and 1994. While city councilman, Hoskins also served as president of the Black Elected County Officials of St. Louis County, Missouri, and supported the redistricting of election districts in Missouri at both state and local levels to emphasize representation of African-Americans. In 1992, he ran against Wayne Goode of Pasadena Hills, Missouri for a seat in the Missouri State Senate, representing the 13th district. Hoskins' platform included increasing representation of African-Americans through redistricting, improvements to education, and a state health insurance plan, but he lost the election to Goode.

In 1995, Hoskins was a candidate for Mayor of Berkeley, Missouri, but lost to incumbent Acting-Mayor Jean Montgomery. He was again a candidate for mayor in 1996, and defeated incumbent Berkeley Mayor Jean Montgomery in the April 2, 1996 election. While mayor, Hoskins often sided with three city council members to create a voting majority of 4–3, with an agenda of encouraging growth and development in the municipality. He was challenged politically in his position as mayor, and opposing members of the city council attempted to oust him in 1996. In August 1997, the Berkeley City Council passed an amendment to the City Charter allowing Hoskins to hold the position of Democratic committeeman for Norwood Township while still serving as Mayor of Berkeley. Berkeley City Councilman Kenneth W. McClendon had filed a lawsuit in St. Louis County Court in July 1997 seeking to remove Hoskins from his position as mayor because of his concurrent role as Committeeman. A group of individuals critical of Hoskins sought to remove him as mayor, and in June 1998 a judge's order removed him from office, citing his concurrent role as a Democratic committeeman as a violation of the city's charter. In August 1998, voters recalled Hoskins as mayor, but the following October the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed the order removing him from office, and he returned to the position as mayor.

Hoskins was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in November 2002, representing District 80, and has served in the 92nd, 93rd, and 94th General Assembly of the Missouri General Assembly. In 2005, he voiced his support for set-asides for minority and women-owned businesses to Governor of Missouri Matt Blunt. In 2006, Hoskins wrote a letter in his capacity as Chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus to the St. Louis NAACP, criticizing the organization for supporting former KTRS radio host David Lenihan. Lenihan was fired after he had used a racial slur on the air in reference to then-United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Hoskins wrote that the action of the local NAACP chapter of giving Lenihan life member status "cheapened the value of our rich history".^[3] In 2008, Hoskins sponsored a bill which would change the requirements in Missouri to only mandate a license plate on the rear bumper of a vehicle. He stated the bill "would save a significant amount of money for the state."^[4] On January 14, 2009, House Speaker Ron Richard announced the leadership of the 50 committees in the Missouri House of Representatives, including Hoskins as Chairman of the Urban Affairs Committee. Hoskins is the only Democratic chairman of a committee in the Missouri House of Representatives.^[5] In 2009 Hoskins served on four special committees: Student Achievement, Tax Reform, Tourism, and Urban Education Reform.