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~ St. Louis, July 1, 2024 - In a press statement released today, Comptroller Darlene Green expressed her concerns over proposed charter changes that would eliminate the independent elected comptroller and the Board of Estimate & Apportionment (E&A). According to Green, these changes would have a detrimental effect on the city's financial structure and could potentially lead to corruption.

Green emphasized that the proposed charter changes would completely dismantle the strong financial structure of the city, weaken checks and balances, and eliminate transparency. This would leave city taxpayers vulnerable to corruption and abuse of their hard-earned dollars.

One of the major consequences of these changes, according to Green, is the risk of downgrading the city's credit rating from an A-category credit. She pointed out that under her leadership in May 2008, the city's credit rating was upgraded to an A+ for the first time in over 35 years. However, with these proposed changes, there is a high possibility of damaging the city's credit and increasing borrowing costs.

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Green also highlighted that these proposed changes offer no improvements to protect taxpayer dollars. Instead, they eliminate the E&A Board and its monthly public meetings in favor of closed-door meetings. This removes transparency and weakens checks and balances on city finances by removing an elected comptroller.

The comptroller further stated that the public advocate charter change is not about protecting or supporting the city against corruption and abuse. She stressed that having an independent elected comptroller who serves as an advocate for the people and a watchdog over taxpayer dollars is crucial for maintaining accountability and transparency in local government finances.

Green emphasized that together, the E&A Board and an independent elected comptroller provide a layer of structural protection and accountability for local government finances. Without them, accountability and transparency would be forever lost.

In conclusion, Green reiterated her concerns about how these proposed charter changes could harm the city's financial structure and leave taxpayers vulnerable to corruption. She urged the public to visit the Office of the Comptroller's website to learn more about their role in safeguarding the city's credit rating and protecting taxpayer dollars.

Comptroller Darlene Green serves as the chief fiscal officer of the City of St. Louis and is responsible for safeguarding the city's credit rating and protecting taxpayer dollars. To learn more about her office, visit www.stlouismo.gov/comptroller.

Filed Under: Government, City

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