How Megan Green scuttled the Rams spending compromise

When Aldermanic President Megan Green on Friday night accused a colleague without evidence of having been drunk at that day’s board meeting, it was the latest example of why in recent weeks numerous people in City Hall have quietly—and not so quietly—complained of Green’s chaotic presence around the negotiations of how to spend the city’s $294 million windfall from the Rams settlement. 

Two weeks ago, Mayor Tishaura Jones called a press conference with Alderwomen Alisha Sonnier and Pam Boyd to announce the two alders had reached a “compromise” bill. Text messages between Green’s staff and the mayor’s, exchanged about 15 minutes before the event, show Green lobbying to be added to it, even though her office wouldn’t commit to supporting the new plan. The press conference started late because of the maneuvering. Green did appear, saying the bill met “the spirit of consensus,” but alluded to tweaks to come. 

Those tweaks came days later at a committee hearing where Green added amendments taking money from downtown and boosting child care subsidies. However, the move seems to have infuriated Boyd, who later told SLM, “She did what she wanted to do, and now we’ll see.”

Everyone saw the chaos unspool at Friday’s board meeting. Despite Sonnier restoring the version of the bill without Green’s amendments, Boyd remained soured, calling the previous compromise “null and void.” 

Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer then attempted to introduce a stripped-down bill with only $40 million for water infrastructure—the one thing everyone agrees on, Schweitzer said. Green blocked that and abruptly gaveled the Board into recess until Tuesday, a move that may well have violated the board’s rules, numerous aldermen said. As she hurried away, Green said something tantamount to: If you want to play games, we’ll play games.

“Chickenshit,” said Alderman Joe Vollmer, who said he’d never seen anything like it in his 22 years on the board. Later that day, in a since deleted social media post, Green accused Vollmer of being “visibly intoxicated.” Vollmer told KSDK this was defamation of character and threatened legal action. She later apologized. 

Green remained a frequent presence on Facebook throughout the weekend, commenting on posts to push for childcare subsidies and defend her actions. 

Why It Matters: One City Hall insider described Green’s gavelling out as “a rash decision that will have lasting consequences.” Another said: “The one thing everyone agrees on is that Megan is f—ing things up. They agree on that—and water.” 

Green has a history of making claims that are short on evidence. She once erroneously accused a fellow alderman of accepting bribes. More recently, she lent credence to a baseless conspiracy theory that a pro-Israel PAC had purchased the Riverfront Times just to shut it down. 

What’s Next: Under normal protocol, members say Tuesday’s meeting should pick up where Friday’s left off: with Schweitzer speaking. However, as one City Hall observer put it, Green is so far afield from regular procedures, who’s to say what will happen. 

Hear from Megan Green on The 314 Podcast.