Less than five years ago, recalling an alderman in St. Louis was considered both politically extremist and almost impossible to pull off. Until the recall election in 2003 of former 21st Alderwoman Melinda Long, 27th Ward Alderman Jimmie Mathews was the only alderman to be recalled in the history of St. Louis city government.
The right to recall was inserted in the St. Louis City Charter to give citizens a way to exercise a vote of no confidence for an elected official. Now the recall has become a tool (at least in North St. Louis) for losing aldermanic candidates and their supporters to get another bite out the apple before the full term of an alderman has expired.
The last two successful recalls, in the 21st and 4th Wards, were initiated and supported by the Democratic committeepersons in those wards. The support of the Democratic committeepersons is significant because if the recall is successful, a special election is scheduled and the candidates, both Democratic and Republican, are selected by the Democratic and Republican city committees. Members of these committees are the Republican and Democratic committeepersons in the 28 city wards.
In the 21st Ward, Alderwoman Benice Jones-King, who was defeated by Melinda Long in 2003, formed a coalition with Chink Washington, the 21st Ward Democratic committeeman, and Myrtle French, the 21st Ward Democratic committeewoman. The recall was successful. Jones-King was nominated by Washington and was subsequently confirmed by the City Democratic Central Committee to run as the Democratic aldermanic candidate in a special election to select a replacement for Long. (The irony of this process is that it forces the recalled alderman who was initially elected as a Democrat to run as an independent in the special election.)
The important thing to remember is that – in contrast to the situation in California, where the recall of the sitting governor and selection of a new governor were on the same ballot – the process here involves only the recall of the alderman, which creates a vacancy that can only be filled through a special election. This is when the committeepersons select a Democratic and Republican candidate to run.
Now it looks like there are two more aldermen facing a recall effort, Jeffrey Boyd in the 22nd Ward and Tom Bauer in the 24th Ward. In the 24th Ward, the recall petitions have been certified, and a special election will be held this fall. The effort to recall Boyd is still a work in progress, but it has already created a stir in City Hall politics. It led to Mayor Francis Slay firing his longtime colleague and friend Kenneth Jones as director of the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA), a position to which Slay appointed Jones. Jones was alderman of the 22nd Ward for 20-plus years before that appointment.
It is interesting to note the difference in reaction by Slay to the recall efforts on the North Side compared to the South Side. Slay was involved in the recall efforts in the North Side’s 21st and 4th Wards, but has not made visible signs of involvement (as far as the EYE can see) in the recall efforts in Bauer’s South Side 24th Ward.
In a previous column, the EYE argued that the increase in popularity of recalls can be explained by the reduction in the population in each ward mandated by the reapportionment of the wards. Since 1981 the minimum population required in each ward went from approximately 25,000 to 10,000. This reduction in population has resulted in a reduction in the number of signatures required to trigger a recall. So technically it could be said that the aldermen have only themselves to fault for this surge in recalls.
The most ironic recall is the one involving 24th Ward Alderman Tom Bauer. Bauer was one of the most vocal opponents of Propositions A, B, C and D, which could have reduced the number of wards from 28 to 15. This reduction would have increased the number of signatures needed to recall an alderman. Bauer should have heeded the saying “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”