^Was Joe Mokwa just the fall-guy for a longstanding racket that never ended? Or maybe we just had a particularly terrible Streets Director for four years... Curious whether they'll follow the audit recommendation to eliminate cash payment or just slow-walk reforms until the media loses interest and then go back to status quo.
No. The PD was running drugs under Mokwa. He was removed for far more than just the impound lot.SB in BH wrote: ↑May 15, 2025^Was Joe Mokwa just the fall-guy for a longstanding racket that never ended? Or maybe we just had a particularly terrible Streets Director for four years... Curious whether they'll follow the audit recommendation to eliminate cash payment or just slow-walk reforms until the media loses interest and then go back to status quo.
These pandemic loans are going to give us years of news. Today delivers two…
Dana Kelly, nightclub owner, administrative assistant to Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, and failed mayoral candidate.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime ... e844eac25e
Corretta (Cory) Elliot stole $1.7M, paid off a few undisclosed unions and setup a retirement account.
Also sold her personal access to the Mayor’s office to developers and business owners.
https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/11/04/ ... utType=amp
Dana Kelly, nightclub owner, administrative assistant to Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, and failed mayoral candidate.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime ... e844eac25e
Corretta (Cory) Elliot stole $1.7M, paid off a few undisclosed unions and setup a retirement account.
Also sold her personal access to the Mayor’s office to developers and business owners.
https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/11/04/ ... utType=amp
I took a corporate training today about spend management, compliance, and AI. I'll avoid oversharing the boring details but I walked away with a conclusion for the public sector also. Fraud with public dollars will be damn near impossible in the near future. Accounting and procurement systems are rapidly becoming advanced at detecting inaccuracies. This won't necessarily require new systems/technology as the cloud based services used by most governments are already incorporating AI into workflow for their customers to remain competitive. These systems can work retroactively many years and can complete a financial audit that would usually take months to complete in just under an hour.
Exciting times. Unless you're a public sector fraudster.
Exciting times. Unless you're a public sector fraudster.
What’s up the smear campaign against the Treasurer? I’m a big supporter of getting parking out of the Treasurer’s office but seems like media has really latched on recently. Did the one abandoned car reveal poor management?
Treasurer’s girlfriend used a city-issued hangtag to avoid parking fees
https://www.stlmag.com/news/treasurers- ... gtag-fees/
St. Louis treasurer voided his own parking tickets
https://www.stlmag.com/news/st-louis-tr ... g-tickets/
Mayor and treasurer fight over parking millions while abandoned cars rust on St. Louis streets
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local ... ccbddfee91
St. Louis treasurer's 'ridiculous' parking-lot deal stalls. Too expensive, mayor says
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 04fbb.html
Treasurer’s girlfriend used a city-issued hangtag to avoid parking fees
https://www.stlmag.com/news/treasurers- ... gtag-fees/
St. Louis treasurer voided his own parking tickets
https://www.stlmag.com/news/st-louis-tr ... g-tickets/
Mayor and treasurer fight over parking millions while abandoned cars rust on St. Louis streets
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local ... ccbddfee91
St. Louis treasurer's 'ridiculous' parking-lot deal stalls. Too expensive, mayor says
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 04fbb.html
The articles do make it clear. If you’re a supporter of a multimodal St. Louis where car owners are held to a higher and safer standard, you should support parking management under the Streets Department.
At very best Layne has let the department fall into poor management and it’s costing St. Louis millions in revenue and supports a relaxed car environment. I don’t fault Layne, parking operations shouldn’t be a job function of a Treasurer.
At very best Layne has let the department fall into poor management and it’s costing St. Louis millions in revenue and supports a relaxed car environment. I don’t fault Layne, parking operations shouldn’t be a job function of a Treasurer.
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I suspect there will be a candidate announcing soon to run against him in the August primary. Clearly a coordinated campaign for that but also by mayors office to get their hands on parking revenue. They need help from the state to do that’s so these things are to get the states attention.
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This “we need more parking in Midtown” fiasco should be enough to end it. Last thing the city needs to be worrying about when there is too much surface lot damage on our city and the city has lots and garages that aren’t even full already
Amen. The effort wasted on this parking lot proposal at Compton and Olive is baffling. Doesn't make for a compelling reelection case.
That parking money doesn't go to street maintenance is also baffling. I think most people expect that it does.
That parking money doesn't go to street maintenance is also baffling. I think most people expect that it does.
Then who should be taking care of it? How are parking fees and fines not a function of the treasurer's department?addxb2 wrote: ↑2:07 PM - Mar 10At very best Layne has let the department fall into poor management and it’s costing St. Louis millions in revenue and supports a relaxed car environment. I don’t fault Layne, parking operations shouldn’t be a job function of a Treasurer.
While we're grinding axes, can we address how it seems that 90% of the street parking around city hall and the health department building is employee parking for the city?
They should follow through on the voter mandated department of transportation and establish a division of parking enforcement. In addition to the overall responsibility of managing and enforcing parking facilities it should tow and sell cars AND enforce along with the building division standards for private garages and lots. Revenue should be brought back to the Department of Transportation. It should be led by one of the many knowledgeable parking professionals nationally.dweebe wrote:Then who should be taking care of it? How are parking fees and fines not a function of the treasurer's department?addxb2 wrote: ↑2:07 PM - Mar 10At very best Layne has let the department fall into poor management and it’s costing St. Louis millions in revenue and supports a relaxed car environment. I don’t fault Layne, parking operations shouldn’t be a job function of a Treasurer.
While we're grinding axes, can we address how it seems that 90% of the street parking around city hall and the health department building is employee parking for the city?
When did that happen?addxb2 wrote: ↑5:38 PM - Mar 10They should follow through on the voter mandated department of transportation and establish a division of parking enforcement. In addition to the overall responsibility of managing and enforcing parking facilities it should tow and sell cars AND enforce along with the building division standards for private garages and lots. Revenue should be brought back to the Department of Transportation. It should be led by one of the many knowledgeable parking professionals nationally.dweebe wrote:Then who should be taking care of it? How are parking fees and fines not a function of the treasurer's department?addxb2 wrote: ↑2:07 PM - Mar 10At very best Layne has let the department fall into poor management and it’s costing St. Louis millions in revenue and supports a relaxed car environment. I don’t fault Layne, parking operations shouldn’t be a job function of a Treasurer.
While we're grinding axes, can we address how it seems that 90% of the street parking around city hall and the health department building is employee parking for the city?
Where do it talk about parking enforcement?addxb2 wrote: ↑6:27 PM - Mar 10November 2024.
https://ballotpedia.org/St._Louis,_Miss ... mber_2024)
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition T was as follows:
“ Shall the Charter of the City of St. Louis be amended to change the Department of Streets into a Department of Transportation with the authority and duty to maintain and repair public streets, sidewalks, alleys, bridges, streetlights, and traffic lights; to perform waste removal services; and to plan, engineer, and design City transportation projects and transportation programs relating to safe travel for all modes of transportation?
I consider "transportation programs relating to safe travel for all modes of transportation." to incorporate parking. This is a fairly standard operating model in other cities. The Treasurer's Office can be involved in debt/payment collection but the policies of parking enforcement, parking rates, deciding where to place new parking, and towing policy should be directed by transportation professionals.
If parking enforcement was intended, it should have been clearly stated on the ballot measure. I think you're reading too much into it.addxb2 wrote: ↑6:56 PM - Mar 10I consider "transportation programs relating to safe travel for all modes of transportation." to incorporate parking. This is a fairly standard operating model in other cities. The Treasurer's Office can be involved in debt/payment collection but the policies of parking enforcement, parking rates, deciding where to place new parking, and towing policy should be directed by transportation professionals.
The ballot language is written vaguely because they (BoA and City department leaders) didn't agree then and still don't agree to what should be included within a City DOT. If/when they take action in creating the DOT there will be many similar public disagreements.
Any particular reason you feel so strongly that the current system works?
Any particular reason you feel so strongly that the current system works?
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The DOT vote had nothing to do with parking nor can it legally. The parking powers the treasurer holds come from the state. Local ordinances cannot change that
From my Twitter on this
From my Twitter on this
I'm concerned about legal challenges if the wrong department is in charge.addxb2 wrote: ↑7:17 PM - Mar 10The ballot language is written vaguely because they (BoA and City department leaders) didn't agree then and still don't agree to what should be included within a City DOT. If/when they take action in creating the DOT there will be many similar public disagreements.
Any particular reason you feel so strongly that the current system works?
Please tell me another town/city where the transportation department (the department that handles paving, construction, snow clearance etc) also does parking, ticketing , fines and dispersal of funds from those.
I didn't say it had anything to do with parking. I said the ballot language was written intentionally vague and could be eventually interpreted to allow parking facility management as a Transportation Program.dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑7:43 PM - Mar 10The DOT vote had nothing to do with parking nor can it legally. The parking powers the treasurer holds come from the state. Local ordinances cannot change that
From my Twitter on this
To your earlier point there appears to be an active effort to unseat Layne and sew mistrust in the Treasurer's office as a parking operator. When the state government (Probably government overreach fanboy from Wildwood, Rep. Christ) starts getting involved there will be a discussion about where Parking should exist. I think it should exist within what is currently Streets and eventually DOT.
I mean I'm not suggesting they do anything illegal. I think multiple uncomfortable conversations need to be had about governance and the legislative work to make it feasible.dweebe wrote: ↑7:47 PM - Mar 10I'm concerned about legal challenges if the wrong department is in charge.addxb2 wrote: ↑7:17 PM - Mar 10The ballot language is written vaguely because they (BoA and City department leaders) didn't agree then and still don't agree to what should be included within a City DOT. If/when they take action in creating the DOT there will be many similar public disagreements.
Any particular reason you feel so strongly that the current system works?
Please tell me another town/city where the transportation department (the department that handles paving, construction, snow clearance etc) also does parking, ticketing , fines and dispersal of funds from those.
Minneapolis, Kansas City, Madison, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Austin, Portland, San Diego maintain parking out of Transportation, DOT, or Public Works department.
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Treasurer’s girlfriend used a city-issued hangtag to avoid parking fees
https://www.stlmag.com/news/treasurers-girlfriend-city-hangtag-fees/
https://www.stlmag.com/news/treasurers-girlfriend-city-hangtag-fees/
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Adebanjo “Banjo” Popoola resigned from his position in December 2024 amid mounting questions about contracts awarded to his companies through federally funded programs meant to stabilize vacant and rundown properties.
Companies tied to Adebanjo “Banjo” Popoola cashed in on $4M in ARPA funds—and federal prosecutors say Popoola himself awarded the contracts.
https://www.stlmag.com/news/banjo-popoo ... s-federal/
Companies tied to Adebanjo “Banjo” Popoola cashed in on $4M in ARPA funds—and federal prosecutors say Popoola himself awarded the contracts.
https://www.stlmag.com/news/banjo-popoo ... s-federal/