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Aldermen To Wade Into History Museum Dispute

Credit (via Flickr/Reading Tom)

It appears as though a couple of members of one of the oversight boards for the Missouri History Museum are getting their wish. The Board of Aldermen appears poised to jump into the fray over the way the museum is being run.

Ald. Joseph Roddy, who chairs the board's Parks and Environment committee, will introduce tomorrow a resolution asking permission to hold hearings on that topic. It was an action requested by two members of the board that oversees the tax money allocated annually to the History Museum.

"I think the first thing is, is the public getting real information?" Roddy said. "We have no control. This is just another venue to explore this whole question. I know the taxpayers that have contacted me are wondering what is going on."

Roddy says he has no agenda other than figuring out what is going on at the museum.

"You know, it sounds like a he said, she said type of thing, and we ought to be able to get to the bottom of it I would think relatively easily. We need to get that off the front page," he said.

Gloria Wessels, one of the board members who requested the hearings, is married to Ald. Fred Wessels, but Roddy said that had no bearing on his granting the request.

He says the testimony likely won't start until after the holidays.

Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.

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Rachel is the justice correspondent at St. Louis Public Radio.