Since August 2014, experts have been analyzing municipal governments in St. Louis County. Their focus has been on the courts, traffic fines, incarceration and the police who feed this bewildering complex. Critics contend that this system is dysfunctional and corrupt; that it preys on the working poor, particularly citizens of color.
Fourth Class (small) cities often rely on their city administrator (CA) to actually run the government, so it is often a position of unchallenged authority. Knowledge, actual or perceived, equates to power and influence, as elected officials rely on the CA for guidance through the government maze.
The ultimate result is that citizens perceive government as little more than a criminal enterprise that preys on those who lack power and influence. Â
The experts analyzing municipal government need to review the position of city administrator because citizens deserve honest government.
Michael K. Broughton