Francis G. Slay

Lewis Reed Slams Cuts to City Cable Channel, Mayor Francis Slay Says Police More Important

Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed is attacking Mayor Francis Slay with a press release that feels very much like it's election season all over again. Slay, who had his formal inauguration last week -- kicking off his historic fourth term -- has proposed to cut funding to the city's official cab ... More >>

Mayor Francis Slay Says LGBT Issues Will Be a Priority in Historic Fourth Term

It is officially official. After beating his challenger Lewis Reed in the March primary, winning against no one on the April 2 Election Day and going through his formal inauguration ceremony yesterday, Mayor Francis Slay has begun his fourth term -- making him the first mayor in St. Louis history to ... More >>

Marijuana: St. Louis Aldermen Pass Reform Bill, Mayor Francis Slay Likely to Sign it into Law

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen has officially passed a local marijuana reform bill that aims to save police resources and reduce punishments for the most minor possession offenses. "This is a good, practical move for the city of St. Louis to alleviate police and prosecutorial resources on minor d ... More >>

Barack Obama Interrupts Mayor Francis Slay's Workout to Congratulate Him on Historic Win

Last night, Mayor Francis Slay, who officially won his historic fourth term on Tuesday, was at the gym when he got an important phone call. "This is Barack." "The president called from Air Force One," Slay spokeswoman Maggie Crane tells Daily RFT. "The mayor was at the gym. He obviously took tim ... More >>

Lewis Reed V. Francis Slay: Top Ten Craziest Campaign Fights in Mayor's Race (PHOTOS)

The day is here. Voters will effectively choose the next mayor of the City of St. Louis in today's Democratic primary race, where incumbent Francis Slay, vying for an unprecedented fourth term, will face off against challenger Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen, and Jimmie Matthews, the ... More >>

Will St. Louis Be the First City to End Chronic Homelessness? Officials Unveil Housing Plan

Mayor Francis Slay and the city's Department of Human Services have a long-term plan to abolish chronic homelessness in the city -- unveiled this week, just days before the primary election. Officials say they have been working on "The Beginning of the End: Abolishing Chronic Homelessness," (conve ... More >>

Veolia Water Contract Stays Alive; Destined for Board of Aldermen Hearing

Amid murmurs from the staff in Mayor Francis Slay's office that the Veolia Water contract "isn't even on the agenda," about 80 members of the activist coalition Dump Veolia poured into Room 200 yesterday afternoon. The goal -- as their signs read -- was that the Board of Estimates and Apportionment ... More >>

Lewis Reed V. Francis Slay: Attacks In Mayor's Race Reach New Level With Lying Charges

"Mayor's Senior Staffers Lie to the Public in Attempt to Cover Up Scandal." So says the latest header on a press release from the campaign of Lewis Reed, the Board of Aldermen President hoping to unseat longtime St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. And with it comes the sense that the mayor's race has pe ... More >>

Francis Slay v. Lewis Reed: Slavery Image on "Bootlicker" Film Flyer Sparks Controversy

The re-election campaign for Mayor Francis Slay is slamming a flyer for a local documentary called "Bootlicker," which depicts a black man down on his knees in front of Slay next to the word, "Slayvery." With the primary election less than a month away, the battle for mayor has gotten very content ... More >>

Francis Slay On Pot Prosecution: "I'm Not For Legalizing Marijuana. It Sends A Bad Message."

Francis Slay, the mayor of St. Louis, is opposed to legalizing marijuana, as two states did in the last election. Not that anyone is asking him. In response to a question from Daily RFT about the proposal at the Board of Aldermen to reduce the punishment for possession of small amounts of pot, S ... More >>

Sisters For Slay: Jamilah Nasheed Rallies Support For Mayor Francis Slay's Reelection Bid

On Monday, we wrote about Mayor Francis Slay's latest fundraising efforts -- with an event featuring key Muslim leaders in the City of St. Louis. We now have details on another campaign initiative of the incumbent who will face off with Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed in the March Democratic ... More >>

Lewis Reed V. Francis Slay: Board of Alderman President Nabs South Ward Endorsement

The tides are changing in the race for Mayor of the City of St. Louis. So says the campaign manager for Lewis Reed, the Board of Alderman president hoping to replace Mayor Francis Slay, who is running for an unprecedented fourth term. What's the Reed Campaign's proof? The challenger last night sna ... More >>

Lewis Reed Vs. Francis Slay: Mayor's Campaign Attacks Challenger For Out-of-State Donations

As the March primary election nears, the intensity of the mayoral race is increasing -- and so is the inflow of cash. As we reported on Monday, Lewis Reed, the current president of the Board of Aldermen, more than doubled his donations after a weekend of fundraising. But where is the money coming ... More >>

Photos: Francis Slay Versus Lewis Reed, Jimmie Matthews In Lively Mayoral Debate

What is the State of the City of St. Louis? Depends on who you ask. Lewis Reed, the President of the Board of Aldermen, paints a somewhat grim picture -- a divided city that remains unsafe and lacks real economic opportunities. But Mayor Francis Slay, who first took office twelve years ago, descri ... More >>

Lewis Reed: "Grim Reaper of Radio" Bob Romanik Top Donor To Francis Slay Opponent

Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen and candidate for St. Louis mayor, has just filed a new campaign finance report that reveals his donors. And up top in the filing, on view below, is Bob Romanik, a.k.a. the "Grim Reaper of Radio" and subject of an RFT cover story back in August. Reed, ... More >>

KMOV's Maggie Crane Plans to Be Out Front on Policy As Mayor Slay's Spokesperson

Mayor Francis Slay has finally chosen his new spokesperson: KMOV Channel 4 reporter Maggie Crane.  Crane, a 31-year-old St. Charles native, has been at the station for just over three years. She will leave KMOV on January 25 and begin at city hall three days later. We had a chat via e-mail this ... More >>

Connecticut Shooting: Mayor Slay Laments That Missouri's Hands Are Tied On Gun Control

St. Louis City Mayor Francis Slay just posted the following statement on Facebook in reference to the horrific mass shooting today at a school in Newtown, Connecticut: Our city's prayers are with the children of Sandy Hook Elementary. I read the terrible news while sitting through interviews after w ... More >>

Mayor Slay and Businesses Like Discounts for Voters. Too Bad It's Illegal!

Daily RFT's eyebrows raised when we noticed the following tweet by Mayor Francis Slay from Sunday: I'd love to see civic-minded coffee shops and restaurants offer "I Voted" discounts. #fgs-- MayorSlay.com (@MayorSlay) November 4, 2012 A minor legal problem there: Financially rewarding citizens for v ... More >>

Cuts to Firefighter Pensions Pass City, Firemen Take Fight to Court

The Board of Alderman finally voted today to pass Mayor Francis Slay's firefighter pension overhaul, a bill that eliminates benefits that the city has deemed unaffordable. Demetris "Al" Alfred, a firefighter and union representative to IAFF Local 73, said he was disappointed by the vote but that t ... More >>

Leo Slay Arrested at Casino on Heroin Possession Charges

Leo Slay, one of Mayor Francis Slay's younger brothers, was arrested at the River City Casino Sunday afternoon. Police were called to the casino following reports of several hit-and-runs in the parking lot. Slay was identified as a potential suspect and was detained, at which point police searched h ... More >>

Renowned Actor, Master Thespian, Critiques Firefighter Pension Commercials

The St. Louis firefighters' union is on the offensive. This week the International Association of Fire Fighters began airing advertisements on local television calling Mayor Francis Slay's attempt to reform the runaway costs of their pension a "raid" on their retirement. Slay now has his own commerc ... More >>

St. Louis Firefighters' Pension Argument Fails Bullshit Detector

​Earlier this week Chris Molitor, president of the firefighters' union Local 73, wrote a guest commentary in the Post-Dispatch criticizing Mayor Francis Slay's push to reform the firefighters' pension. The pension, btw, now accounts for a third of the fire department's total budget, has more than ... More >>

City Approves Funding for New Animal Shelter on North Side

City leaders are taking steps to curb St. Louis' stray dog problem.​The city's Estimates and Appropriations Committee unanimously approved yesterday a proposal to use $170,000 from last year's budget surplus to build a new animal shelter in north St. Louis. The plan is to lease and renovate a va ... More >>

The Good Slaymaritan: St. Louis Mayor Comes to Aid of Knockout Victim

Slay as seen Friday on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho South Grand.​St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay got an up-close-and-personal view Friday night of a street crime known as Knockout King when he and his chauffeur drove up on a man beaten on the side of the road. In interviews yesterday, Slay said ... More >>

Cardinals Playoffs Means No Furloughs for St. Louis Employees

City workers won't be benched with the Cards in the World Series.​Thanks to the Cardinals' postseason run, city employees won't be forced to take another furlough this year. Mayor Francis Slay's office announced yesterday that the city will take in an estimated $2 million in taxes from the seven p ... More >>

Report: AB-InBev Outraged Over World Series Bet Excluding Budweiser

Cardinals and Budweiser: Nothing to make light of.​St. Louis gossipmeister Jerry Berger writes this week that Anheuser-Busch InBev "is pissed" with a friendly wager that Mayor Francis Slay made with Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck over the World Series. The bet would have Slay winning some Texas stea ... More >>

Mayor Slay's Mother Passes Away; Mayor Lost Father Seven Months Earlier

Condolences to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay with the passing of his mother, Anna May Slay. Mrs. Slay (nee Sobocinski) died this morning following a long illness. Her death was not unexpected, and the mayor and other family members were with her at her passing. Funeral arrangements have yet to be mad ... More >>

Let the Dems keep hating: Jamilah Nasheed could pull off the political coup of the century

Lewis Reed Campaign Gets Big Gift; Francis Slay Campaign Gets Big Names

Slay and Reed: The election is a long way off but the fundraising isn't.​The next election for mayor of St. Louis is still some 20 months away but already the campaigns are under way. Incumbent mayor Francis Slay currently has over $611,000 of cash on hand for the 2013 election, according to the l ... More >>

St. Louis Mayor Wants Missouri to Allow Civil Unions

Slay in a No Hate promo.​Francis Slay used his blog yesterday to call on state legislators to pass a law allowing gay couples in Missouri to commit to civil unions. The St. Louis Mayor writes that Illinois' recently enacted law allowing civil unions has made him realize the need for such a law in ... More >>

St. Louis To Get Three New Charter Schools

​Mayor Francis Slay yesterday announced the addition of three more charter school options for St. Louis families, just in time for the coming school year. In announcing the new schools, Slay said that charter schools are necessary as the St. Louis Public School District continues to re-earn its ac ... More >>

Deal for Local Control of St. Louis Police Flies in Face of Conventional Logic

Local Control, the movie.​St. Louis City Hall and the St. Louis Police Officers Association announced yesterday that they've struck a deal that could return control of the department back to the city for the first time in 150 years. In doing so, the city bucked a nationwide trend by guarante ... More >>

Francis R. Slay, Father of St. Louis Mayor, Dies at 83

Francis R. Slay, the man who smoothed the path for his son's ascendancy into St. Louis politics, passed away this morning at the age of 83.The senior Slay was a Democratic committeeman in the city for more than four decades, a former state representative and the city's former recorder of deeds. In 2 ... More >>

Francis Slay in Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Slay reacts to news that he won't be home for Snowmaggedon '11.​Updated 8:35 a.m. with a hilarious new out take! St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay missed the blizzard that sacked much of Missouri yesterday and left his fair city coated in a few inches of ice and sleet. The mayor was in Albuquerque. As ... More >>

Mayor Slay Cautiously Optimistic on Democratic Convention; Announcement Expected Any Day

Photo: Egan O'KeefeThe mayor and an attendee at last night's RFT Web Awards.​DailyRFT had a chance catch up with Mayor Francis Slay last night at Riverfront Times' Web Awards. (The mayor, btw, had a great time, according to his tweets.)After discussing social media with Slay -- a nominee for our c ... More >>

Mayor Weighs in on Tucson Shootings, Dumb Questions

​Mayor Slay didn't directly call out the St. Louis Business Journal for asking an idiotic question last week, but he hinted as much. In the wake of the Tucson tragedy, the Biz Journal polled its readers by asking: "Given the Arizona shootings, will you stop attending political rallies?" In h ... More >>

Mayor Proposes Taking Fire Ax to Firemen's Pension

Slay: Blowing the whistle and prepared to make the cuts.​Mayor Francis Slay's office this morning outlined its plan to curtail run-away costs within the St. Louis Fire Department. According to the mayor's office, the budget for the fire department has increased 40 percent over the past decade than ... More >>

Things That Make Rex Sinquefield Laugh: Mayor Slay Raising Measly $300K to Stop Him

​Mayor Francis Slay has formed a campaign committee to save St. Louis' earning tax after Missourians last week overwhelming approved Proposition A, requiring city residents to vote on the tax every five years. St. Louis' one-percent earnings tax for residents and people who work within city limits ... More >>

Got Wood? St. Louis Forestry Department Does and They Want to Share It

Because we couldn't find an image of Francis Slay holding firewood. ​That's right. Beginning  today -- and lasting until supplies run out -- the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry is offering free wood to city residents. The stash comes from tree removal at city parks and ... More >>

Merger of St. Louis City and County Moves a Step Closer

Could the second time be the charm?​Maybe it's not such a pipe dream, after all. Yesterday, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley publicly announced that he'd be willing to merge the county and the city. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay first suggested the same over a year ago. A merger would hope ... More >>

Mayor Slay: Misled by Police or Just Clueless? [UPDATE]

Slay: To serve and correct​We never did get a call back from the mayor's office on the following issue, but Slay has responded -- sort of -- to the our question posed Wednesday. That's when we asked how it could be that the St. Louis mayor continues to be surprised by police department's public-re ... More >>

St. Louis Firefighters May Soon Live Outside City Thanks to Crummy Schools

Residency bill has Francis Slay seeing red.​A bill crafted by State Senator Jim Lembke (R - south St. Louis City/County) would allow St. Louis firefighters to live outside the city.The bill (SB739) passed the House and Senate yesterday and basically gives city firefighters the same residency requi ... More >>

Fill Out Your Census Form, Help Get Mayor Slay Some KC BBQ

Image sourceTake five minutes, get counted, help Mayor Slay get some beer and BBQ.​Mayor Francis Slay has made a bet with Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser this U.S. census season: Whose city will increase its census form mail-in response rate by the highest percentage?If St. Louis wins, Slay stan ... More >>

Mayor Francis Slay, Others, Testify to Lawmakers on Local Control of St. Louis Police

Da' Mare: Francis Slay​Mayor Francis Slay reiterated his case for local control of the St. Louis police department yesterday.Speaking last night to the House Special Committee on Urban Issues in Jefferson City, Slay told lawmakers that the system in place since the Civil War -- in which the gover ... More >>

Nativity Scene Featuring St. Louis Cops and Politicians is Noticeably Void of Wise Men

The anonymous moderators over at the police discussion board St. Louis Cop Talk have an amusing painting on the site's homepage. Below is a copied image of the doctored artwork. We here at Daily RFT believe we have decoded everyone in this oh-so-special nativity scene. Question is: Can you ... More >>

Mayor Slay Eyes New Way to Boost Downtown Tourism: Entrapment

From Francis Slay's Twitter feed this morning...​

Why Make Fun of Francis Slay When His Staff Does Such a Bang-Up Job of It?

A few months back we at Daily RFT harnessed our wicked MS Paint skillz to doctor an image of Mayor Francis Slay enjoying himself at a Cancun disco. The altered photo was meant to poke fun at the St. Louis mayor and his (mostly) ridiculous "mini-polls" that his staff dispatches from City Hall every f ... More >>

Supreme Court Sides with City in Firefighter Discrimination Case

flickr.com/photos/zacheversonWe're not sure if anyone popped open a bottle of bubbly yesterday in Room 200 of City Hall, but we know St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and his staff had to be pleased. In a follow-up to an item we posted earlier this month, yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the c ... More >>

Polls Confirm Mayor Slay is a Butt Head

jhensinger.home.comcast.net/Two weeks ago, the otherwise honorable Mayor Francis G. Slay was branded a "Butt Head" by RFT because he (and his PR team) did not participate in a poll of local elected officials about smoking bans. Slay was not alone mind you-- several other area pol ... More >>

Mayor Slay: "Not Willing to Wait Forever" for County to Approve Smoking Ban

mayorslay.comThe honorable Francis Slay may be a "butthead" for never getting back to Riverfront Times regarding our survey of local politicians and their views on smoking, but the St. Louis mayor is willing to share his thoughts via his blog. On Sunday the mayor once more blogged about a proposed c ... More >>