Can we please press the “pause” button on the rush to dismantle municipalities in St. Louis County? Pause does not mean change should not occur. It does not mean the past practices of some municipalities are acceptable. It does not mean no consolidations or mergers.
Pause implies: Can we have a thoughtful, rational conversation about what we are trying to achieve and how do we get there? Can local communities and local tax payers drive the conversation, not Jefferson City or the county executive? The state and county are clearly partners in this conversation, but they should not be the drivers.
For decades, white leadership in the region segregated the African-American community and harmed the long-term strength and vitality of many of our neighborhoods and municipalities, especially in North County. Now today do we want to abdicate the leadership in the needed change to outsiders who do not know, care or relate to our communities? We think not.
Our communities are predominantly African-American and have predominantly African-American elected leadership. We are not willing to simply walk away from this representation without voicing our communities’ perspective.
Over the last five years, well before the explosion of Ferguson, we the mayors of the 24 municipalities of the Normandy Schools Collaborative have been working together to provide the most efficient and effective government to the residents and tax payers of our communities.
In 2013, Cool Valley made the decision to dissolve its police department and contract services with another 24:1 municipality, Normandy. Cool Valley saved roughly $200,000 annually, while also managing to provide better quality services for its residents. Normandy already was providing policing services for Bellerive Acres, Greendale and Glen Echo Park.
In 2015 both Charlack and Wellston decided to dissolve their police departments and contract with the newly formed North County Police Cooperative run by Vinita Park. Vinita Park also provides policing for Vinita Terrace. Total savings for the Charlack, Vinita Terrace and Wellston police departments is nearly $1 million per year. The Police Co-op is currently pursuing its national CALEA accreditation.
In 2015, in partnership with the Normandy Schools Collaborative, we received a two-year $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to place a Community Resource Police Officer in every school building.
Pine Lawn led a successful effort to find a more efficient and cost-effective way for cities to provide trash services. In January 2013, Pine Lawn published a request for proposals and established a transparent bidding process for trash collection that would make services and pricing available to all 24:1 municipalities. The best of four competitive bids resulted in savings of over $70,000 per year and a model contract based on the best services and terms found in neighboring contracts.
Four municipalities are working with St. Louis County to pool their funds to use collectively for demolition, street repair or a variety of other beneficial purposes. As a pilot program, St. Louis County has offered to consider providing an incentive or matching funds to encourage collaboration. The municipalities are currently working on a collective bid on demolition and anticipate saving over $2,000 or 20 percent on each of the 51 homes to be demolished.
With our partner Beyond Housing, we were awarded a $500,000 grant over five years from the Missouri Department of Conservation in 2015 to design a self-sustaining municipal services district. The district would focus on strategic tree management but would be applicable to all kinds of municipal services.
In late 2015, 10 municipalities put out a joint municipal bid for audit services.
The only narrative our region has heard is that our municipalities are incompetent, unneeded and treat people unfairly. This is not the whole story. Don’t let criticism from people who don’t live here, don’t have children in our schools and don’t pay taxes here drive the agenda for change. Change is happening, and if supported by the state and county we will continue to evolve, improve and lead the way to what a new North County can look like.
Patrick Green, Normandy; Viola Murphy, Cool Valley; Rachel White, Bel-Ridge; Rev. Everett Thomas, Northwoods; Mike Jones, Bellerive Acres; Earline Luster, Velda Village; Mary Carter, Pagedale; Geno Salvati, Pasadena Hills; Adrain Wright, Pine Lawn; Kevin Buchek, Bel Nor; Nathaniel Griffin, Wellston; Victoria Valle, Glen Echo Park; James McGee, Vinita Park