The organization behind Proposition R announced they would no longer push for a rushed enforcement of the proposition’s redistricting provisions in this cycle, marking a complete reversal of their earlier intentions.
“Passing Prop R in April will immediately improve ethics at the Board of Aldermen by prohibiting alderpersons from taking official action on legislation where they have a personal or financial conflict of interest.” —Reform St. Louis
In September, the Reform St. Louis coalition turned in 38,000 petition signatures and successfully triggered a special election April 5 for city residents to cast their vote on the charter amendment. The most significant reform in the proposition shifts the redistricting task from the Board of Aldermen to an independent citizen redistricting commission.
Up until this week, Prop R coalition members remained adamant the formation of a citizen commission would give them time to redraw the boundaries for the 2023 election. Still, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed disagreed because the board was required by law to approve a new ward map by the end of this year.
Earlier this month, the board did finalize a 14-ward map with an almost unanimous vote.
Proposition R also includes a host of other reforms, such as decreasing the influence of big money by stopping aldermanic conflicts of interest; preventing the Board of Aldermen from overriding the will of voters; and ensuring the public knows if an alderman has a personal conflict of interest in something they are voting on.
“Passing Prop R in April will immediately improve ethics at the Board of Aldermen by prohibiting alderpersons from taking official action on legislation where they have a personal or financial conflict of interest,” Reform St. Louis wrote in a statement. “We believe that it is in the best interest of our city to reform the city charter to ensure that future redistricting efforts are truly independent, transparent, citizen-driven and equitable and that the Board of [Aldermen] is held to a higher standard of ethics.”
Proposition R has been endorsed by several local organizations including League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis, Show Me Integrity, Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, St. Louis Association of Community Organizations, Missouri Faith Voices Missouri Health Care for All, Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, RepresentUs, MaTovu, Serve America Movement, Rev. Darryl Gray, Yinka Faleti, Alderwoman Christine Ingrassia, Alderman Bill Stephens and Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer.
City voters passed the ward reduction in a 2012 election, which stipulated the new 14 wards (down from the current 28) would be redrawn after the 2020 census. It laid out a plan for the first election in the newly drawn wards to be held in 2023 for all wards and aldermanic president. Odd-numbered wards would start with two-year terms, to stay in line with the election schedule set by the city’s charter in 1915. The Board president and even-numbered wards would run during that initial election for a full four-year term.
Reform St. Louis is an organization established by Show Me Integrity, which last year campaigned in support of the city’s new nonpartisan approval voting system.
