Aldermen fell one vote short of the 10 they would need overcome a veto from Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, who says it will eventually bite the city in the budget.
The 12th Ward alderman joins Politically Speaking to discuss Zoom board meetings, why he wants to focus on river issues and what it means to be a gay atheist representing a portion of south St. Louis.
via the candidates campaign sites
From left, James Page, 5th Ward, Bill Stephens, 12th Ward, Anne Schweitzer, 13th Ward, and Tina Pihl, 17th Ward, all won their aldermanic races Tuesday. Their wins create a progressive majority on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will look quite different when the new session begins in two weeks.
Three of the four candidates who received the backing of an initiative called Flip The Board won their races Tuesday night, giving progressive-minded aldermen a working if fragile majority at City Hall.
Anne Schweitzer defeated Beth Murphy to represent the 13th Ward Murphy was first sworn-in in 2014. In the 12th Ward, Bill Stephens narrowly beat Vicky Grass, who was sworn in in July to fill the remainder of Larry Arnowitz’s term. And in the 17th Ward, Tina Pihl beat Michelle Sherod for an open seat by just 19 votes.
The bill sponsor says it will save administrative expenses by moving the new Firefighters' Retirement Plan under the old Firemen's Retirement System board.