After their first nominee failed to meet a residency requirement, the 28th Ward Democrats have chosen a new candidate to run for Mayor Lyda Krewson’s seat at the Board of Aldermen – it’s Heather Brouillet Navarro, executive director for the Missouri Coalition the Environment (MCE).
The special election for 28th Ward alderman will be held on July 11. The 28th Ward Democratic Committee will present their nominee and ask for the party’s confirmation at tonight’s St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee.
Art Perry, 28th Ward Democratic Committeeman, said Navarro has been part of the Central West End area for almost 15 years and has been a strong asset and organizer in several community groups.
“Heather is also a great organizer for the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, getting people to volunteer and getting funds flowing in that direction,” Perry said.
Navarro started the Central West End Families and Friends community group, which tries to attract young families to the neighborhoods and support them so they stick around when their children enter school. The group raised funds to redevelop Samuel Kennedy Park, which is a small triangle of land near Euclid Avenue and Delmar Boulevard that now has fun water and climbing features for kids.
“It’s right on the Delmar Divide,” Navarro said. “It’s got to be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life to develop that park. Because of the nature of Central West End and all the education choices, you got a lot of kids who wouldn’t normally meet each other.”
Perry said that Navarro’s involvement in this group pulled her into broader participation in the ward overall. She is constantly encouraging decision makers to think about “changing direction to benefit more people,” Perry said.
Navarro moved to St. Louis in 1997 to attend Washington University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a law degree. Before joining MCE, she spent more than three years practicing as a civil rights lawyer at a private firm in St. Louis. There, she helped parents of children with special needs obtain much needed services. She also represented those who had experienced discrimination based on their race or disability.
She now fights for environmental protection and justice with the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. If elected, Navarro said she would “scale back” at MCE but still be involved at the executive level.
Navarro said she can’t imagine living anywhere else but St. Louis, and her love for her community is at the heart of why she wants to become an alderwoman.
One of the concerns that she hears most from residents and business owners is regarding safety, and it’s an issue she plans on addressing on the board if she’s elected. Equitable development is another issue at the top of her priority list.
“We do want to be attracting development, but there is a huge question about how to make sure it’s equitable if we are using city funds,” Navarro said.
She’s interested in learning more about community benefit agreements, or contract provisions that would require developers to give back to the communities surrounding their real estate projects if the developers are seeking tax incentives. Moving the city forward using a racial equity lens and addressing the city’s disparities are also among her priorities.
Perry said Navarro was their second choice after Elise Miller Hoffman, president of the St. Louis Young Democrats. On May 6, the 28th Ward Dems selected Hoffman as their nominee. But then on May 9, Hoffman announced that she misinterpreted the city’s residency requirement to run for alderman and was “stepping down” as the Democratic candidate.
Although Hoffman has lived in the city for seven of the last 10 years, she bounced around between St. Louis County and the city, “as young people do,” Perry said. Most recently she has only lived in the city for the last year and a half, which doesn’t meet the three-year residency requirement outlined in the City Charter.
Navarro will mostly likely face two Independent candidates in the July 11 election – Steven C. Roberts and Celeste Vossmeyer.
Vossmeyer, an attorney at Thompson Coburn law firm, previously served as general counsel for the Bi-State Development Agency (now Metro Transit Agency). Roberts is currently the chief of staff to Sheriff Vernon Betts and president of the Roberts Companies, and he previously served as an alderman for more than a decade.
“I came to this race as someone who has been working in the community through neighborhood groups and my kids’ schools,” Navarro said. “And that might be different from where Steve and Celeste are coming from. I’m coming from the grassroots perspective.”
