A legal battle over police funding in St. Louis is headed to the next round after the state-appointed Board of Police Commissioners said it will appeal a judge’s ruling rejecting its bid for roughly $67.5 million in additional city funding.
The announcement came a day after Circuit Judge Joan Moriarty ruled that Rams settlement proceeds and city budget reserves should not be counted as current-year revenue when calculating the minimum amount the city must provide for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Board of Police Commissioners President Chris Saracino said Wednesday that the board intends to challenge the decision.
The ruling drew praise from city leaders, who argued that the board’s interpretation of state law would have forced deep cuts to other city services.
Board of Aldermen President Megan Green said the decision reinforced arguments made in a separate lawsuit challenging the authority of the state-controlled board.
“The state-controlled board of police commissioner’s overreach here isn’t only shameful — it’s indefensible,” Green said. “Their inclination toward rushed, ill-informed decision-making and their unwillingness to consider the needs of the entire city are precisely why the city should continue to hold its own ground.”
Mayor Cara Spencer called the ruling “a win for St. Louis.”
“It is absurd to claim that city reserves and Rams funds are somehow current-year revenue, and I’m pleased and grateful that the courts have now ruled as much,” Spencer said in a statement.
Moriarty’s ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the police board, which argued that the city failed to meet state funding requirements for the police department during the current fiscal year. The board sought roughly $67.5 million before the fiscal year ends June 30.
In her decision, Moriarty wrote that “general revenue only includes current income of the fiscal year in question and does not include income from prior years,” rejecting the board’s argument that reserve funds and Rams settlement proceeds should be included in the calculation.
Saracino said the board was disappointed by the ruling and cited staffing shortages, heavy overtime demands, aging infrastructure and recruitment and retention challenges as reasons it believes additional resources are needed. He said the board remains committed to serving city residents and intends to appeal.
The dispute is one of several clashes between city officials and the police board since Missouri lawmakers returned control of the department to a state-appointed commission in 2024.
The funding fight also drew scrutiny from the Board of Aldermen, which last month issued subpoenas seeking records related to the board’s budgeting process and financial requests.
The legal dispute comes as the board considers substantial raises for command staff. In a statement released Sunday, commissioners proposed pay increases ranging from 16% to 22% for lieutenants, captains, majors and lieutenant colonels beginning July 1.
On Wednesday, Spencer voted to postpone consideration of the raises for two weeks, and the board agreed.
For now, Moriarty’s ruling leaves the city’s current police funding plan in place. But the board’s appeal ensures the dispute over police funding — and the authority of the state-appointed commission — will continue.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.