St. Louis County has a new flag. That was the big revelation at County Executive Sam Page’s annual State of the County speech at the Touhill Center this morning. Although the heart of the speech was a much different, and inarguably more important, matter, the flag what people are talking about.
Designed to pair with the branding the county rolled out a year ago (“Opportunity Central,” with a fleur-de-lis surrounded by a woven circle on a hot pink background), the new flag was informed by town halls where the community weighed in.
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“The process took the better part of the year, and the common themes we heard from residents is that they wanted to see something that incorporates nature and unity while being contemporary, timeless and pointing to the future,” Page explained. Artists José Garza and Hayveyah McGowan, both in residence at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, took things from there, producing a “reimagined fleur de lis that only points forward,” with crisp white and hot pink on a blue background. The peanut gallery already has many thoughts.
The bulk of Page’s speech, however, focused on the quotidian work of county government—which, Page pointed out, is bigger in St. Louis County than some small states. The county-owned Spirit of St. Louis Airport alone employs 3,000 people.
Page gave short profiles of staffers working to house people fleeing domestic violence, provide policing, and retain records. Perhaps the most winning anecdote involved Michael Christ, a team member with the Department of Transportation and Public Works, who showed up for snow plow duty in January just hours after he was released from the hospital. Christ reportedly shrugged off recognition for his dedication, saying, “I feel like a big kid playing with a Tonka truck when I’m out there clearing the streets of snow.”
The runner-up: Jason Pratt, a Forestry employee whose proactive work safeguarding St. Louis County’s new $56,000 sawmill actually led to the bust of a multi-county ring of thieves. Said Page, “Jason knew that when you buy a shiny new object with a fairly high price tag, that may get attention from folks with ill intent, so he put a $20 air tag on the sawmill.” The air tag later led police to not only the stolen sawmill, but a host of other purloined goods.
Why It Matters: Page noted that St. Louis County is one of only 35 governments across the U.S. to make Forbes’ list of Best Mid-Sized Employers in 2025. He praised the dedication of the county workforce and threw in a little jab at the County Council, with which he is locked in a long-standing feud, while he was at it.
“We know it’s hard not to look at other opportunities with better pay, especially when groceries rent and almost every other bill continues to climb,” he said. “Last year, the council made another round of cuts, leaving many of our departments unable to fill vacant spots and bring on solely needed assistance across government services. I’ll leave the budget lecture for another day, but let me say this, we need more revenue. We’ve cut the fat, and we’re well into the muscle. Hard decisions must be made.”
Beyond that, as Donald Trump has declared war on what he’s portrayed as a bloated federal workforce, many of the examples shared by Page portrayed the myriad ways that residents rely on government, even if they don’t realize it. (Although it is perhaps worth mentioning that a multi-year rebranding campaign for a government agency, as well as free mini flags for attendees at a county speech, is exactly the sort of expense DOGE, and perhaps also some members of the County Council, would consider fat, not muscle.)
What’s Next: Page never explicitly connected the dots of the government workers he praised with cost-cutting in Washington (and perhaps Trump would have more praise for local government). But he did encourage out-of-work federal employees to get in touch. “Know that we support and appreciate the work you’re doing,” he told them, suggesting not only vocational training but job opportunities with the county could be on tap.
Page, who plans to run for reelection next year, faces a newly announced challenger on the County Council: Former Fenton Mayor Dennis Hancock.
