St. Louis County voters won’t get a chance to decide on a ballot measure allowing the county council to fire department heads.
St. Louis County Judge Bruce Hilton on Tuesday ordered Proposition B to be removed from the April 8 ballot. It would have given the St. Louis County Council the authority to fire department directors with five out of seven votes.
Several heads of county departments sued over the measure. Hilton ruled that ballot language for Proposition B “is misleading, insufficient, inaccurate, argumentative, prejudicial, and unfair.”
He then ordered the Board of Election Commissioners to remove the proposal from the ballot by 5 p.m.
Council Chairman Rita Days said in a text message she was “not sure what our lawyer will do.” The council’s attorney, Kimberley Mathis, did not immediately reply to an email asking if the defendants plan to appeal Hilton’s ruling.
But Councilman Mark Harder, R-Ballwin, said in a statement that the legal battle may not be over yet.
"This decision disenfranchises county voters," Harder said. "The Council needs this process to reign in unchecked power and mediocre performance in the Page administration. We intend to appeal this decision as soon as possible."
Proposition B is the latest chapter in the increasingly acrimonious relationship between St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and the majority of the council. After the 2024 election, Page adversaries outnumber supporters 6-1 — which would mean the current council would have the votes to fire department directors under Proposition B.
While proponents of the plan contended it could provide a stronger check on the executive branch to be responsive to the council, Page said it was effectively a power grab that would throw off the county government’s checks and balances.
In a statement, Page called Proposition B “a ridiculous proposal.”
“It’s time to move forward and do the work of the people in St. Louis County,” Page said.
An initial draft of what became Proposition B included language that could have allowed the council to remove a county executive. That provision ultimately didn’t make it to the version of the ballot item that Hilton struck down Tuesday.
