Better Together's New City-County Merger Plan Removes Stenger As Metro Mayor

[Sherman A1]

Before Monday, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger was slated to become the first “metro mayor” under a plan to merge St. Louis and St. Louis County — giving the Democratic official enormous power over the direction and decision making of a united region.

But after Better Together submitted a new petition to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office, Stenger won’t automatically get that post. One of the leaders of the city-county effort said the move is in response to criticism of having county officials being the initial leaders of the government — and not a federal subpoena of Stenger’s administration.

“I don’t think it goes to the individual,” said Better Together Executive Director Nancy Rice. “I think it goes to people wanting to vote earlier rather than later. So that’s what we’re doing.”

Detractors of the merger plan, though, are skeptical — given that changes were reported just hours after news of the Stenger subpoena became public. And others don’t feel the changes get at the heart of the issues with the Better Together proposal, including its impact on black political power and how statewide voters will decide whether a new government comes to city and county residents.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/better-together-s-new-city-county-merger-plan-removes-stenger-metro-mayor

[Kurt V.]

1. since this only affects me on the periphery, what's your thoughts?

[Sherman A1]

2. I have serious concerns about the statewide participation on the process

from the start. I agree that many services are duplicated and there could be a great deal of streamlining along with cost reductions should their be a merger, but this is I believe is the complete wrong way to go about it. Let the City & County put together a merger plan get the approval of the voters in the respective districts and then go to the state for approval of those things that need to be approved by either the legislature or statewide voters.


This is an end around the will of the people who will be most affected by the merger in order to get it approved.

That and anything that Rex Sinquefield favors, I automatically oppose.

[Kurt V.]

3. thanks. Probably 90% of ppl outside st. louis city and county have no grasp of the details.

[Sherman A1]

4. I am not sure that I have a grasp of them

but, I also believe that the Better Together Group has been very deliberate in being sure that folks do not. There is just too much inside dealing on this for me to be comfortable with the idea.

[Kurt V.]

5. It's so typical. a good idea hijacked