St. Louis voters Tuesday overwhelmingly supported two ballot issues, including one that strips the Board of Aldermen of responsibility for drawing ward maps every 10 years.
Proposition R passed with 69% of the vote, easily surpassing the 60% threshold needed. Approval means a citizen commission will take over the redistricting process after the 2030 U.S. Census data is released.
“The voters of St. Louis City have spoken; they want accountability and transparency at the Board of Alderpersons,” LaShana Lewis, Show Me Integrity Education Fund board chair said in a statement.
“On behalf of Show Me Integrity, thank you to our dedicated coalition partners who made this possible. We look forward to building more cross-partisan coalitions for transformative change in our region, and we invite partners to join us in that conversation.”
While opposed by Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed, the city’s Democratic Committee, and some labor unions, Show Me Integrity’s Lewis said Proposition R “was written by St. Louisans in an open, community-driven process in consultation with national experts.”
The ballot measure establishes a four-member commission picked randomly from applicants by an aldermen-appointed oversight board. The oversight board will be composed of three retired judges and representatives of Comptroller Darlene Green’s office and city Planning and Urban Design Agency.
Those commissioners would then select another five to create a nine-member panel. Public hearings would be held during the commission’s mapping process.
According to the ballot language, Prop R will also “Prohibit alderpersons from taking official actions where they have a personal or financial conflict of interest.”The personal interest could mean having a relative involved in the issue being considered.
Reed has said he would consider a lawsuit to have the Proposition R results ruled invalid, citing among concerns the fact that St. Louis County retired judges could be on the oversight board.
Also on Tuesday, voters agreed to let the city borrow $50 million to meet capital needs, including street paving and repairs to city recreation centers and firehouses. The money will also allow the city to use federal transportation dollars that require matching local funds.
“By passing today’s General Obligation bond initiative, St. Louisans emphasized their commitment to the long-term fiscal health of our city. These bonds will give us the resources we need – without a tax increase – to fund infrastructure improvements and deliver city services long after federal American Rescue Plan funds are spent by 2026,” Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a release.
“I was proud to support this initiative, and I appreciate Comptroller Darlene Green, bill sponsor Alderwoman Marlene Davis, and the Board of Aldermen for their work to get this important issue on the ballot. From labor to business, from North City to South, communities across St. Louis came together to support Prop 1; this is what caring for our city looks like.”
St. Louis voter turnout reached just 10.4% for the special election, according to the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners.
STL County results
St. Louis County now bans its county executive from holding another job, with 61% of voters approving the measure. It needed a simple majority to prevail.
County Executive Sam Page is an anesthesiologist, and says he only works that job nights and weekends to keep up his medical license.
Voters in the county also voted for a charter change requiring the county executive’s office to pay for all appointed employees out of the county executive’s budget. Currently, the cost can be divided throughout different County departments.
The St. Louis County municipal election voter turnout was at 19.1 percent, higher than the average of 15% since 2018. It was 23% in 2017, according to the St. Louis County Board of Elections.
Normandy new school board members
For the first time in eight years, Normandy voters had a chance to elect school board members.
Dr. Christopher Petty and Harlan Hodge won seats on the Normandy Schools Collaborative’s Joint Executive Governing Board on Tuesday. They will replace current members Mike Jones and Sara Foster.
“Local governance is a critical key to Normandy improving its student outcomes,” William Humphrey, JEGB president, said in a release.
“For our community, this is a historic day. We welcome Dr. Petty and Mr. Hodge to the team and look forward to working together to provide the best education for our students.”
In December, the Missouri Board of Education voted to begin Normandy’s transition from an appointed school board to an elected one. In 2014, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) dissolved the Normandy School District and formed the Normandy Schools Collaborative. The JEGB has members appointed by the state Board of Education.
