Members of the St. Louis County Council overrode vetoes on bills promoting and paying for a ballot item authorizing councilmembers to fire department directors.
At issue is Proposition B, which would allow members of the county council to fire department directors and the county counselor with five out of seven votes. It’s the only countywide initiative on the April 8 ballot.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, a Proposition B opponent, vetoed legislation that would allocate $520,000 from St. Louis Rams settlement money to pay for the countywide election.
He also vetoed a bill that would restrict county employees from attending meetings related to county ballot items.
The council overrode both of the bills with a 6-0 vote on Thursday. Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, D-Maplewood, was absent from the special meeting.
In a statement, Chairwoman Rita Days, D-Bel Nor, echoed Proposition B supporters who maintained it would make the county executive’s office more accountable.
“The Council's actions make it clear: there is an urgent demand for greater transparency in executive decision-making as the county confronts significant fiscal and administrative challenges,” Days said.
Page has contended that Proposition B is a power grab that would make potential department directors squeamish about serving in county government. He also said in his veto message that the bill restricting what county employees say about ballot items amounted to a “gag rule” — and added that it was wrong to use Rams money to pay for the Proposition B election.
The county received around $169 million from the Rams settlement in 2022, while the city received around $250 million.
“The NFL Settlement Fund should be used on transformative projects that leave a lasting impact on the lives of our residents – not to serve as a slush fund for the Council to increase its own power,” Page said in a statement.
Several of Page’s department directors are challenging Proposition B in court, which means it may not go into effect even if voters approve it on April 8.
