Megan Green, Board of Aldermen president, presided over a 14-member body for the first time in St. Louis history on Tuesday.
In a commentary in today’s St. Louis American, Green wrote “Two weeks ago, voters delivered the most diverse slate of municipal lawmakers in our city’s history. Our newly elected aldermen and alderwomen will be the first racially balanced Board in our history.”
Green said in her inaugural remarks: “The disparities in our community have been centuries in the making, and change won’t happen overnight. We need to work together with common purpose, a shared conviction, and an unyielding urgency.”
But she also alluded to potential conflicts.
“Our city is counting on you to model productive disagreement and compromise,” Green said.
Four new aldermen, including the first Latina to serve, Daniela Velázquez, took their oaths of office alongside 10 returning lawmakers with promises of cooperation to serve the residents of the city.
“I plan to serve the way I ran my campaign,” said 10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard, the new majority floor leader, “through a position of peace, through a position of inclusion, through a position of transparency and collective cooperative work with the people who supported me.”
Green gave all 14 aldermen a chance to speak during a portion of the agenda reserved for lawmakers to introduce special guests. 12th Ward Alderwoman Sharon Tyus took the opportunity to vent her frustration.
“I’m not scared of the first Black female mayor or the first white [female] president of the Board of Aldermen,” she said. “If you do not respect north St. Louis, if you come for me, I’m coming for you.”
She called Green a “tyrant” and a “dictator.” When Green interrupted, Tyus yelled “You are being a white Becky. Sit down,” Green at one point threatened to have Tyus removed unless she could be civil.
Tyus was also sharply critical of new rules that emphasized internal democracy over seniority for board leadership positions. Previously, the roles of vice president, floor leader and assistant floor leader, and the selection of committee chairs, were based on seniority. Tyus is third on the list.
But under the new rules, those three positions are elected by their colleagues; they then work with the board president to choose committee chairs.
Laura Keys, the alderwoman of the 11th Ward, was angry that conversations about who wanted to be in leadership took place before she was even sworn in.
“Either I’m part of the group, or I’m not,” she said. “If I’m part of the 14, I need to be in the loop. I fail to see the transparency here.”
Green ran for a full term unopposed, and the eight candidates she endorsed won their races. Along with Jones, more progressive lawmakers have significant power to advance Green’s agenda.
She pledged to make 2023 “the year of the tenant,” with a focus on affordable housing and counsel for those facing eviction.
“If developers want a deal, they need to ensure that low- and moderate-income St. Louisans have access to housing that they can afford,” Green said.
Green also wants to tackle the rising costs of early childhood education and revamp liquor licensing, zoning codes and the minority contracting process.
She also warned in her commentary, St. Louis’ biggest threat is the state legislature.
“In the weeks ahead, the state legislature could vote to take away local control of our police department and put it in the hands of lawmakers in Jefferson City—politicians who like to appear tough on crime but insist on inflaming the conditions that lead to crime,” she wrote.
“This isn’t governance. It’s fascism. It’s anti-freedom of speech. It’s anti-public safety. And it’s antithetical to the principles on which this country was founded.”
Alvin A. Reid of the St. Louis American contributed to this report.
