When Unite STL, the group that was backing the St. Louis city-county merger plan known as Better Together, announced after five years of studies its 160-page report on how to rejoin city and county in January, there were a few criticisms.
One, that it could lead to underrepresentation in minority communities.
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Another, that schools were left out of the plan.
Some thought it was just a bailout for the city.
Others, that it would take away too much power from county municipalities.
Perhaps the most vocal criticism of the Better Together plan, however? That, because it would involve changing the state’s constitution, the proposed merger would have to pass by a statewide, not a local, vote.
Now, Unite STL has announced, it will withdraw its proposal to merge the city and county and “look for a new way to reform local government which enables a local vote,” according to a press release sent out on Monday by Better Together spokesman Ed Rhode.
Under Better Together’s set of recommendations, the city and county would have transformed into a new “metro city” with municipal districts replacing municipalities, one metro city mayor, one police department, one prosecutor, one municipal court system, and a 33-member council to eliminate duplicate spending and increase efficiency. All these changes would require a constitutional amendment, necessitating the state of Missouri to pass it. Some, including newly minted interim St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, thought that changes in city and county government needed to be decided here, not statewide.
However, even though Better Together will be pulling this proposal, it won’t be the last you hear of it.
In the release, Better Together stressed that the group’s mission remains the same: “to change the way local government works so that it’s more efficient and responsive to the people of this region.” The release cited “too many layers of government that drives up taxes, hurts our economy, lack of economic opportunity, speed traps to fund services, uneven policing, and the inability to reduce violent crime to acceptable levels” as areas of inefficiency.
Chairman Mark Wrighton, in the press release, stated that “current Missouri law limits our ability to make the kinds of changes needed to put our region on a good path to prosperity. So, we’re going to study what changes in the law are needed to enable the voters of the City and County to make the reforms they need and support.” He stated he hoped to work with St. Louis City Mayor Lyda Krewson and Page going forward, and change the process to re-focus on the city and county’s collective future.
