In a letter dated July 9, 2005, 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd has requested that Board Bill 139 be withdrawn from consideration before the Legislation Committee of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. The memo states that the intent of BB139, which Boyd introduced, was to “eliminate the inconsistency between certain sections of the City’s charter that related to the bid selection process; provide a legal basis for the consideration of minority participation guidelines in the bid selection process; and provide a legal basis for the consideration of local business preference guidelines in the bid selection process.”
This is not, however, the way Comptroller Darlene Green describes the bill. In a memo sent to Boyd and the other members of the Legislation Committee, Green wrote that BB139 as drafted gave a “non-elected official (the supply commissioner) authority that lies within the charter authority of an elected comptroller.” The comptroller went on to say that the proposed legislation appears to be unnecessary because the Board of Public Service rules already allow the selection of vendors based upon city proximity and Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise participation.
A number of city hall observers told the EYE that BB139 is a classic example of “whatever it is, it ain’t.” Basically, it’s a back-door attempt by Mayor Francis Slay’s administration to use Boyd to weaken the authority of the comptroller’s office.
It’s ironic to find Boyd being accused of being a stooge for Slay, in light of the vicious race-baiting campaign he ran against Jay Ozier last year, calling him a “house alderman” and calling Kenneth Jones a “former house alderman,” with Slay their “master.” Boyd accused Ozier of supporting a “racist mayor who continues to attack our black leadership, Percy Green, Alderwoman Sharon Tyus, Fire Chief Sherman George and Comptroller Darlene Green.” Now Boyd is an alderman, and he is being accused by the comptroller and some of his African-American aldermanic colleagues of doing the same thing.
