St. Louis Board of Aldermen
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
Board of Aldermen | |
|---|---|
| City of St. Louis | |
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral |
Term limits | No Term Limits |
| Leadership | |
President | Lewis E. Reed, Democrat |
Vice President | Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, 22nd Ward, Democrat |
Majority Floor Leader | Alderman Joe Vollmer, 10th Ward, Democrat |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 28 officially non-partisan |
 | |
Political groups | Democratic (28) |
| Authority | Charter of the City of St. Louis |
| Salary | $41,000/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Redistricting | Legislative Control |
| Meeting place | |
| St. Louis City Hall | |
| Aldermen Chambers, St. Louis City Hall | |
| Website | |
| www.stlouis-mo.gov/BoardofAldermen | |
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen is the legislative body of the independent city of St. Louis, Missouri. The Board of Aldermen is charged with passing legislation, known as board bills, which after passage of the Board are sent to the Mayor to be signed into law. The Board serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model. The Board monitors performance of city agencies and makes land use decisions as well as legislating on a variety of other issues. The Board also has sole responsibility for approving the city budget. The presiding officer of the Board is the President, who is elected separately city wide.
The President of the Board is the second highest ranking official in the City directly behind the Mayor. The President sets the agenda and presides at sessions and meetings of the Board. The Board is made up of 28 aldermen representing the city's 28 wards. The Board meets in the north wing of City Hall in the Aldermanic Chambers.
Composition[]
The Board of Aldermen consists of one representative from each of the city's 28 wards; the body's President is elected separately by a citywide ballot. Like the mayor, Aldermen representing odd-numbered wards are elected in odd numbered years following the United States Presidential Election, while the President of the Board and the aldermen from even-numbered wards are elected in the off-years, terms are four years.[1]
Proposition R, a charter amendment to reduce the number of city of St. Louis aldermen from 28 to 14 effective January 1, 2022, was passed by city voters on November 6, 2012 with 61 percent voting in favor; 60 percent was needed for passage.[2]
Proposition D, a ballot measure to make municipal elections in St. Louis officially non-partisan, was passed by city voters on November 3, 2020 with 68 percent voting in favor.[3]
Powers[]
By custom and tradition, an alderman has a great deal of influence over decisions impacting the ward they represent on matters ranging from zoning changes, to street resurfacing, to tax abatement to business licensing, etc.
By city charter, Aldermen are legislators. Aldermen introduce laws and legislation known as board bills that can become city ordinances which can impact the quality of lives of city residents.
Committees[]
The Board of Aldermen uses committees for a variety of purposes, including the review of board bills or proposed laws, and the oversight of the city's executive and administrative branch The appointment of committee members is formally made by the President, while committee chairmanship is determined by seniority. Committee Chairman preside over committee meetings and hearings. Traditionally, five committees are considered to be the most powerful and most influential; Ways & Means; Public Safety; Housing, Urban Development & Zoning; Streets & Traffic; and Transportation & Commerce. Each Alderman sits on at least three standing committees. The Board has the following standing committees:
- Committee on Ways & Means, Alderman Joseph Vollmer, Chair
- Committee on Public Safety, Alderman Joe Vacarro, Chair
- Committee on Housing, Urban Development, & Zoning (HUDZ), Alderman Joseph Roddy, Chairm
- Committee on Streets & Traffic, Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, Chair
- Committee on Transportation & Commerce, Alderwoman Marlene Davis, Chair
- Committee on Neighborhood Development, Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard, Chair
- Committee on Public Utilities, Alderman John "Jack" Coatar, Chair
- Committee on Public Employees, Alderwoman Carol Howard, Chair
- Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, Alderwoman Megan Green, Chair
- Committee on Legislation, Alderwoman Christine Ingrassia, Chair
- Committee on Parks & Environment, Alderman Shane Cohn, Chair
- Committee on Health & Humans Services, Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Chair
- Committee on Education & Youth Issues, Alderman John Collins-Muhammad, Chair
Qualifications[]
To become an Alderman one must be a registered voter, twenty-five years of age, have been a United States citizen for at least five years, a resident of the city, and for one year a resident of the ward from which elected. The President must be at least thirty years of age and a city resident for at least five years.[4][5]
Current members[]
List of presidents[]
The President presides at all the meeting, preserves decorum and determines all questions of order. He or she also appoints standing and special committees and serves as an equal member of all committees. The President assigns bills to appropriate committees and refers bills, when ready, to the Engrossment Committee. the President directs action from the broad elevated podium in the front and center of the semi-circulate position.
| Presidents |
|---|
| Louis P. Aloe (R) 1917-1924 |
| Walter J. G. Neun (R) 1924-1935 |
| William L. Mason (D) 1935-1941 |
| Michael J. Hart (R) 1941-1943 |
| Aloys P. Kaufmann (R) 1943 |
| Edgar S. Nicolai (R) 1943-1945 |
| Albert L. Schweitzer (R) 1945-1947 |
| Charles Albanese (R) 1947-1955 |
| Donald Gunn (D) 1955-1959 |
| A. J. Cervantes (D) 1959-1963 |
| Donald Gunn (D) 1963-1968 |
| James Noonan (D) 1968-1969 |
| Joseph Badaracco (R) 1969-1975 |
| Paul Simon (D) 1975-1980 |
| Eugene Bradley (D) 1980 |
| Thomas Zych (D) 1980-1987 |
| Thomas A. Villa (D) 1987-1995 |
| Francis G. Slay (D) 1995-2001 |
| James F. Shrewsbury (D) 2001-2007 |
| Lewis E. Reed (D) 2007–present[6] |
Party composition[]
| Year[7] | Democratic | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 8 | 20 | 0 |
| 1947 | 8 | 20 | 0 |
| 1949 | 13 | 15 | 0 |
| 1951 | 17 | 11 | 0 |
| 1953 | 21 | 7 | 0 |
| 1955 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1957 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1959 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1961 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1963 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1965 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 1967 | 22 | 6 | 0 |
| 1969 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1971 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| 1973 | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| 1975 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 1977 | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 1981 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 1983 | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015[8] | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
References[]
- ^ "Laws and Lawmaking". stlouis-mo.gov.
- ^ "Propositions pass to cut St. Louis aldermen, return local police control". St. Louis Business Journal. November 7, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- ^ "St. Louis, Missouri, Proposition D, Approval Voting Initiative (November 2020)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "About the Board of Aldermen". stlouis-mo.gov.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Lana Stein--"St. Louis Politics" page 255
- ^ Lana Stein--"St. Louis Politics" page 174
- ^ "St. Louis Board of Aldermen will have all Democrats, two new faces". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 9, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
External links[]
- Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis
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- Government of St. Louis
- Missouri city councils