St. Louis County Executive Sam Page used his annual State of the State speech on Wednesday to promote some of the county government’s accomplishments and warn of impending budgetary turmoil without new sources of revenue.
And the Democrat unveiled a new logo that he says could be a first step toward creating a distinct identity for Missouri’s largest county as “Opportunity Central.”
“This single phrase encapsulates our core promise for residents and businesses and even those just passing through,” Page said. “St. Louis County has what you need to get the most out of life. Whether you're looking to settle down or to start a family or to build or grow a business or just looking for great new restaurants to try. You can find it in St. Louis County.”
Page’s address at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis featured a recitation of some of the county government’s accomplishments in 2023. That includes incentives for a proposed expansion of Boeing in north St. Louis County, a comprehensive development plan and education projects at the county jail.
He also touted the diligence of county workers, including health department employees who are helping combat the opioid epidemic and the police department, which has helped to reduce crime.
“St. Louis County remains laser focused on being a place where everyone wants to be,” Page said.
Budget woes
Page said the county budget remains in a perilous state because of a deficit in the general fund that pays for many vital services. While he said there’s enough reserves for now, without more sources of revenue, the county will have to make tough decisions in the future.
“We cannot cut our way out of a deficit when costs continue to rise,” Page said. “We need to have reliable, steady revenue. We have over $2 billion in infrastructure projects that we do not have funding for. We need more revenue, not less to keep our streets safe. We work to be fiscally responsible while providing the services our residents have come to expect. And we can't let them down.”
Page said council members should consider implementing an online sales tax or look at the county’s property tax rate, which he said has remained stagnant for decades.
“The county tax rate has not been increased since 1984. And several of my staff members weren't even born the last time county government increased its tax rate,” Page said. “We need to look at new revenue options.”
Council Chairwoman Shalonda Webb, D-St. Louis County, said she was willing to discuss drumming up more sources of revenue.
“We cannot say that we're going to do one thing or the other, we’ve got to put everything on the table,” Webb said. “And that comes with the discussions of increases in taxes.”
Councilman Mark Harder, R-Ballwin, said he expects more discussions about new taxes or increasing existing ones. But he also said that the council will discuss ways it can continue to trim the budget.
“We will hopefully have some growth in our revenue in just sales tax going forward,” Harder said. “But we need to make some bigger jumps in either revenue or cuts or both going forward if we're going to try to balance this budget.”
New logo
Near the end of Page’s speech, he announced the county’s new logo.
He pointed out that the county had created a slew of uneven and disparate iconographies over the past few years, making it difficult to create a definitive identity.
“We're taking a closer look at how we represent ourselves, and we discovered what you see behind me: an array of logos and colors and fonts, some dating back at least 30 years,” Page said while a display was shown. “Lots of inconsistencies and messaging challenges come with this many representations of St. Louis County.”
The new logo features a red fleur-de-lis within a woven circle. The fleur-de-lis represents the region’s French heritage, while the woven circle is meant to encapsulate how the Missouri and Mississippi rivers affect the region.
Page said the logo provides a distinct image of what the county should be.
“Our region's population has been stagnant for decades. And we can't compete against ourselves,” Page said. “We have to work together as one. We want the Austins and the Nashvilles and the other metro regions that have done a fine job branding themselves to know that we see you and we appreciate you. But we are also competing with you. Our pride, our talent and our possibilities. They are St Louis County, and they are our future. And this is a place where you can build that future.”
Page spokesman Doug Moore said Elasticity, a St. Louis-based marketing firm, was hired for the rebranding campaign, which included the logo and tagline and the narrative behind the choices. The contract, approved in the 2022 budget cycle, was for $90,000. The county’s 2024 budget is $1.01 billion.
“The scope of work by Elasticity also includes flag design,” Moore said. “That is a project that will go well into 2024, and we will make a separate announcement on that when we have more details on the process.”
Reaction among county council members to the new logo was mixed. Webb said the logo “will be great for businesses, individuals and our communities to come together and collaborate as one.”
Harder said he found the logo underwhelming and noted there could be costs to include it in county buildings or paperwork.
“I don't think a logo is going to make someone move here to live and to raise a family or build a business,” Harder said. “If anything, the logo with the fleur-de-lis ties in the city of St. Louis with the county, and it doesn't have our own identity. At least the old logos had our own identity.”
