Recent news stories about the disagreement between County Executive Steve Stenger and County Council Chairman Sam Page, having to do with staffing in the county auditor’s office, also tell of their disagreeing as to whether the new county auditor meets the qualifications for the job as the County Charter requires. The auditor is appointed by the County Council.
Stenger has enlisted the assistance of County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch, a political ally, to investigate the auditor and see if he has the qualifications to hold the office. It seems that Stenger and McCulloch either don’t know or don’t care what a conflict of interest that is.
McCulloch’s campaign committee has made around $100,000 of in-kind campaign contributions to Stenger’s campaign – but it has not been disclosed just what the in-kind contributions were for, as the law requires. More recently, it was discovered that Stenger quietly put through a change last year in a 58-page packet that allows McCulloch to collect on two full pensions if he is elected to another term.
The investigation that’s really needed in county government is of the contracts given to Stenger’s campaign contributors. “Pay to play” has been taken to levels never seen before. The most extreme example is the more than $300,000 of contributions given to Stenger’s campaign by the developers of the old Northwest Plaza. In return, they received a no-bid county contract for office space worth as much as $50 million.
There has never been a state audit of St. Louis County government. Perhaps one is needed.
Tom Sullivan
University City
