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~ The St. Louis Charter Commission's draft proposals have sparked heated debate over the future of the city's government. Among the most controversial proposals were the elimination of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment and the Comptroller's office.

Comptroller Darlene Green wasted no time in voicing her concerns about the potential elimination of her office, stating in a July 1st statement that it could lead to a lack of transparency and weaken checks and balances. Her opposition was joined by Mayor Tishaura Jones and several members of the Board of Aldermen.

However, last week, the Charter Commission announced that these proposals had been removed from their list of recommendations to be sent to the Board of Aldermen for debate. This decision came after a public hearing where Green expressed her gratitude for the community's overwhelming response in opposition to the proposed changes.

Green emphasized that eliminating her office would have severe consequences for the city's financial structure and could potentially put taxpayers' dollars at risk for corruption. She also warned that it could jeopardize St. Louis' A-category credit rating, which was upgraded under her leadership in 2008.

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In addition to these changes, the Charter Commission also abandoned a proposal that would have allowed the mayor to directly appoint key positions such as fire chief, police chief, and director of personnel.

The Board of Aldermen has scheduled full meetings on August 8th and 16th to discuss charter-related legislation and meet the August 27th deadline set by the Board of Elections to place items on the November 2024 ballot.

The creation of a nine-person commission in April 2023 was approved by voters with hopes of recommending changes to improve how city government functions. Other proposals being sent to aldermen include giving them more control over budgetary items without needing approval from the Board of E&A, converting the Streets Department into a Department of Transportation, and changing some city elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years in hopes of increasing voter participation.

The Charter Commission also plans to lower the required number of signatures on initiative petitions, implement approval voting for all county offices except the Circuit Attorney, and rename the "Board of Aldermen" to the "City Council." They also aim to update charter language to reflect modern titles and methods of advertisement, as well as provide for compensation to be set by ordinance.

As St. Louis continues to navigate potential changes to its government structure, it is clear that there are strong opinions on both sides. The final decisions will ultimately be made by the Board of Aldermen and put before voters in November 2024.

Filed Under: Government, City

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