ST. LOUIS — A measure to set a new citywide vote on a ward reduction plan passed at the 2012 election is back before the full Board of Aldermen.
The aldermanic Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted 6-0 on Monday to send the repeat election measure to the board.
Last year the full board narrowly gave tentative approval to the idea on a 15-13 vote. But the measure never was brought to a final board vote after Mayor Lyda Krewson threatened to veto it. A veto requires 20 votes to override.
Krewson, who supported the 2012 ward reduction effort when she was an alderman, could not be reached for comment Monday on whether her veto threat remains in place.
Opponents of ward reduction dominated the discussion at Monday's committee meeting. They reiterated arguments that the reduced number of aldermen would end up resulting in less clout for black aldermen and less effective representation for their constituents.
"Ward reduction is a mini-Better Together plan," said the re-vote's sponsor, Alderman John Collins-Muhammad, D-21st Ward.
That was a reference to a now-discarded plan to merge the governments of St. Louis, St. Louis County and the county's 88 municipalities, which drew similar objections from many African-American elected officials.
Others said there wasn't enough done to educate voters before the election on the 2012 plan.
Supporters of ward reduction have pointed out that with the city's population dropping by more than half since 1950, there's no need for as many wards.
They also say cutting the number of aldermen would make the board more efficient by giving each member more staff support. And the mayor has said reducing the wards would address the city's fragmented government structure and allow aldermen to take a bigger-picture view.
Under the plan passed by voters in 2012, the new 14-ward boundary lines will be drawn by aldermen in 2021 after next year's national census. The new lines would kick in for the 2023 city election.
One ward reduction supporter, Alderman Dan Guenther, D-9th Ward, urged opponents to cooperate with a yet-to-be-appointed advisory committee that is supposed to take public input on the process between now and the 2021 boundary redrawing.
The advisory panel's chairwoman says it would study how the larger wards and fewer aldermen could affect everyday operations such as delivering constituent services and allocating capital improvements money.
Guenther said the panel also could look into using analytical data and other resources from local universities to help devise the new boundary lines instead of a process in which political factors such as aldermanic seniority play a major role.
"It's in all of our interests to make sure all of our city has prosperity and growth," he said. "Now we're just voting on the fear of what might happen."
Guenther joined ward reduction opponents in voting to send Collins-Muhammad's measure to the full board.
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Apparently not! From today's PD:framer wrote: ^I wonder if he's ever resolved his many outstanding traffic tickets?
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/cri ... 2a62f.html
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The fact this guy doesn’t obey the rules really turns me off
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Word is that Green is going to try a run for Nasheed's Senate seat (Nasheed is term limited). Not sure I like her chances.
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If some of you recall- during the rams stadium debacle Green accused the entire board of being corrupt and especially a senior North side alderman for collecting winter coats. FBI came to her for evidence and she basically said she lied. Well ever since she’s been off any worthwhile committee and if you look the bills she’s passed they have been meaningless.Ebsy wrote: Word is that Green is going to try a run for Nasheed's Senate seat (Nasheed is term limited). Not sure I like her chances.
So last spring tried to fail up into the Board of Alderman Pres position, she couldn’t win, but she could get Reed re elected and she did. She also got a lot of white SW city votes because team Nasheed went to work on reed there trying to get that part of the city not to vote for him. With reed re elected now she’s even more irrelevant at the BOA and now she’s going to try to fail up in a senate spot. Irony here is she is going after a majority black district spot all while positions herself as some sort of ally of the black lives matter movement. Her ego just won’t let her apologize to the Board and try to rebuild trust and be an effective representative for the 15th ward. She should do that or get out of politics, not try to fail up to another position and take a spot from a AA in a AA majority district that desperately needs a voice in Jeff city. Although whomever wins none will close to be as effective in a red dominate Jeff city as Senator Nasheed as been
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Green's election chances for a senate seat are zero.
Edit: So are her chances for retaining the current alder-person seat she occupies unless she runs unopposed.
Can we elect no alder-person? Genuinely curious.
Edit: So are her chances for retaining the current alder-person seat she occupies unless she runs unopposed.
Can we elect no alder-person? Genuinely curious.
I thought she was still the darling of the Southside Progressives. Is the honeymoon over?
I actually think she would not have any difficulty being reelected in her ward, but I don't see her path to victory in a primary electorate that is as black as the 5th Senate district. Who knows how the seats will be reconfigured after redistricting, but until then...
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She should run for Mayor
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Again?!
KMOV - Investigation underway after Alderman Collins-Muhammad pulled over for speeding, driving on revoked license
KMOV - Investigation underway after Alderman Collins-Muhammad pulled over for speeding, driving on revoked license
https://www.kmov.com/news/investigation ... fc549.htmlCollins-Muhammad was given three summons, one for speeding, driving on a revoked license and failure to show proof of insurance.
Beyond ridiculous, but not at all surprising.
" St. Louis police pulled over Alderman John Collins-Muhammad for speeding down Natural Bridge Avenue Tuesday on the same day he was quoted in a News 4 story about the traffic dangers and speeding on that very road. Collins-Muhammad was given three summons, one for speeding, driving on a revoked license and failure to show proof of insurance."
" St. Louis police pulled over Alderman John Collins-Muhammad for speeding down Natural Bridge Avenue Tuesday on the same day he was quoted in a News 4 story about the traffic dangers and speeding on that very road. Collins-Muhammad was given three summons, one for speeding, driving on a revoked license and failure to show proof of insurance."
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Why would she dismiss it?Rooster wrote: ↑Jan 28, 2020KG will dismiss it! Don't worry Alderman.
I guess he'll get to stay on the BoA's Committee on Public Safety and Committee on Transportation & Commerce?framer wrote: ↑Jan 28, 2020Beyond ridiculous, but not at all surprising.
" St. Louis police pulled over Alderman John Collins-Muhammad for speeding down Natural Bridge Avenue Tuesday on the same day he was quoted in a News 4 story about the traffic dangers and speeding on that very road. Collins-Muhammad was given three summons, one for speeding, driving on a revoked license and failure to show proof of insurance."
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Can you show stats on traffic case prosecution from the previous CA and Gardner?
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Reduce Alderpersons and increase CSB department services. Someone give an update on when the Alderman reduction goes into effect.
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2023 election will be the first with 14 alders I believe, since the new wards will be drawn with 2020 census data which won’t be out in time for March 2021 primary. Census Bureau has until March 31 2021 to make the state and local data available.leeharveyawesome wrote: ↑Jan 29, 2020Reduce Alderpersons and increase CSB department services. Someone give an update on when the Alderman reduction goes into effect.
Will we vote on all 14 in 2023? Or will we vote on the seven even-numbered wards in 2023 and then the seven odd-numbered wards in 2025. Will there be 21 aldermen for two years?
TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ebsy wrote: ↑Jan 29, 2020Board of Aldermen is embarrassing, news at 11.
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He resigned because he is under federal investigation for spending $20,000 in campaign funds for personal reasons