Local Politics

All Politics Is Racial: The tiny north-county hamlet of Vinita Park puts a new spin on the old adage

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 >>

Lewis Reed is Back on Social Media, Says He'll Run Again...For Board of Aldermen President

Last month, Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen, lost his challenge to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay -- but within minutes of his concession speech, told us that he will run for mayor again. Part of his explanation was that he doesn't think he can effect the kind of change he wants to i ... More >>

Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul Takes Lie Detector Test to Prove He Didn't Drink Vodka On the Job

Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul, according to a lie detector test he took, did not drink vodka at city hall -- but given the long list of allegations he is facing from city officials trying to impeach him, he could probably use a drink. The accusations from city officials include cursing, drinking at m ... More >>

Hosed: A plan to overhaul the St. Louis Water Division leaves the Slay administration all wet

Lewis Reed v. Francis Slay: Did the Mayor Attack his Opponent by Reducing Wife's Hours?

Political motives prompted the office of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay to reduce the hours of Mary Entrup, a housing court judge who just so happens to be the wife of Aldermanic President Lewis Reed -- who is running for mayor. So says Lewis Reed, who, in a chat with Daily RFT, slammed the mayor's of ... More >>

Proxy Twitter War Between Mayor Francis Slay and Board President Lewis Reed Heats Up

As Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed prepares to announce today he'll run against Mayor Francis Slay in the election next spring, their respective camps are increasingly battling it out on "the Twitter."

Why We Must Shrink the Board of Aldermen: Our Q&A with Scott Ogilvie

In a few hours, St. Louis' 28 elected aldermen will march into City Hall for a new session of law-making. But one of the biggest reforms this year lies in our hands, fellow voters. This November, we must decide whether to completely redraw our political map and cut the board down to a much leaner 14 ... More >>

Maplewood's Ban on Food Trucks Elicits Saucy Response

On Tuesday, June 12, the Maplewood city council voted against allowing food trucks to operate in the municipality. Of the six council members present -- one member was absent (more on him in a bit) -- four voted that they were either against or mostly against mobile food vendors in their neighborhoo ... 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 >>

Lehman Walker: U. City City Manager Apparently Violates Contract, Keeps His Job

​Lehman Walker, the City Manager for University City, was officially censured by the International City/County Management Association on Wednesday, February 29, and also barred from future membership in the organization. The censure part of that would seem to put him in violation of his employment ... More >>

$64 Million Parks Bond Bill Passes Board of Aldermen

With funding now locked in, Forest Park should see steady improvements over the next couple of decades.​The Board of Aldermen passed today two bills that would lock in current funding and send an additional $64 million in city bonds to St. Louis parks. By passing the bill before the end of the ye ... More >>

Proof Downtown Partnership Bitched to City Hall About Occupy St. Louis

Kiener Plaza was a tent city before Partnership for Downtown St. Louis bent the mayor's ear.​A couple weeks ago Occupy St. Louis accused Mayor Francis Slay of kowtowing to corporate interests when he informed demonstrators (via his blog) that he would soon demand that they end their encampment at ... 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 >>

City Wants Hopeville Gone By December 1

The mayor's office says it wants to save Hopeville residents from the elements.​St. Louis officials today announced that they're pushing ahead with plans hinted at earlier this year to dismantle the homeless camps north of downtown St. Louis. In January the city issued regulations for those living ... More >>

Francis Slay Asserts Alpha Dog Status at City Hall; Lewis Reed Refuses to Play Bitch

Slay strikes first; Reed counters.​A dog fight has broken out in City Hall, and it could last another 21 months. Today, Mayor Francis Slay's office struck first when it released an email blaming Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed for Stray Rescue's decision this week to stop serving as the cit ... More >>

City Hall Insult of the Week: You Tweet Like a Teenage Girl

Alderman French Calls Mayor's Speed Bump Veto "Petty Politics"

"His veto has more to do with politics than it does with public safety," says French.​St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay vetoed yesterday the bill that would add speed bumps to O'Fallon Park -- and 21st Ward Alderman Antonio French is not happy. "It's ridiculous," he says. "The people of north St. ... More >>

Mayor Slay Has Del Taco Building's Back

​Tomorrow the Housing and Urban Development Aldermanic Committee will consider a bill that would deem the Del Taco at South Grand and Forest Park a "blighted area," consequently opening the door for its demolition. The proposal has drawn much scorn from the public. So yesterday, Mayor Francis ... More >>

The Circus Comes to University City Council

Price and Ricci trying to keep it civil.​For ten minutes last night, members of the University City Council argued about whether one of its members physically lifted his buttocks off his seat during a debate two weeks ago. To members of the council, this seemed like quite an important fact t ... More >>

City Admits It's Been Financing Firefighter Fund Unnecessarily

President Chris Molitor and other union members after the committee hearing.​St. Louis firefighters won a small victory at City Hall yesterday when union leaders forced a committee of aldermen to hold off on voting for a bill specifying that reimbursement for retirees' unused sick days must co ... 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 >>

The Great Divorce: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the City/County Split

Image sourceCity to county: Baby, please come back!​On August 22, 1876, in what was undoubtedly the stupidest move ever in the history of St. Louis, St. Louis City and St. Louis County decided to separate. Like the American Revolution, the great event was prompted by taxes -- the 310,000 city ... More >>

Kirkwood Man Files Lawsuit to Halt Funding of Shooting Memorial

Image sourceMichael Moore​Before we get too far into this story, know that Michael Moore does not oppose the building of the Memorial Walkway in Kirkwood which commemorate the night in February 2008 when Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton went ballistic and opened fire on a city council meeting, ki ... More >>

Is Woodson Terrace a Hotbed of Political Corruption?

Image sourceDoes anyone out there know what the hell a "Boston Harbor City" is?​Things are usually pretty quiet up in the north county suburb of Woodson Terrace, population 4,200. Mayor Lawrence P. "Butch" Besmer has been in office since 2006, his position mostly unchallenged...that is until t ... More >>

State Auditor Releases Findings on St. Louis Mayor's Office

​Updated 1:23 p.m. State auditor Susan Montee today concluded her nearly two-year audit of St. Louis by releasing her investigation into the office of Mayor Francis Slay. For the Slay haters who hoped for a lot of juice on da' mayor, the audit is something of a disappointment. The biggest problem ... More >>

Family of Slain Kirkwood Councilwoman Connie Karr Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Whelan Security

UPDATED at 5:05 p.m. with comments from Whelan Security.Image viaConnie Karr ​The spouse and daughter of Kirkwood Councilwoman Connie Karr, who was shot at a city council meeting on February 7, 2008, filed a wrongful death lawsuit last Friday against Whelan Security Company and one of its guards. ... More >>

Wildwood Councilman Resigns from Office; Wanted Tougher Smoking Ban

facebook.com/bruce.colellaBruce Colella​One gets the feeling that Wildwood City Council meetings might actually be worth checking out. Last spring a former councilman in the west county suburb made headlines when he presented an outgoing official a necktie emblazoned with the man's photo and the w ... More >>

With Clayton Smoking Ban All But Guaranteed, Where is U. City, Creve Coeur and Overland?

Last night the Clayton board of aldermen gave initial approval to a smoking ban for businesses and restaurants that would go into effect in July 2010. The bill needs one more reading before becoming law, though it looks to be virtual done deal at this point. Just one alderman voted against the ban y ... More >>

Butt Heads: Want to know where our public officials stand on smoking bans? OK, we'll ask 'em!

More Ruckus in Valley Park, Over Dinero and Jesus

Down in Jeff City, the confirmation of Linda Martinez as Missouri's Director of Economic Development got held up this week because of her legal wrangling against infamous illegal immigration issues in Valley Park.Meanwhile, out in Valley Park, city leaders have finally owned up to how much dinero th ... More >>

Mavericky!: Alderman and ex-cop John Hoffmann aims to rid Town & Country of dirty rotten four-flushers, varmints and deer

Red Alert: Everything they really don't want you to know about those pesky traffic-light cameras

More on Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton

Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton

Smelterville

Crystal City forges one hell of a deal.

Crystal City Approves Smelter -- Again

Helter-Smelter

Lawsuits fly as Crystal City residents try to stop construction of a pig iron production plant.

Grudge City

O’Fallon, Missouri: Home to petty feuds, poisonous politics – and prickly postcards.

Forum on Paul McKee's North-Side Doings Devolves into Name-Calling

Public Flogging Meeting on Tax Credits

No Ike Turner Day in St. Louis: But What's Truth Got to Do With It?

Hasta La Vista...Whitteaker?

Many Valley Park residents want their mayor to step down.

Valley Park Aldermen to Mayor: Adios, Whitteaker!

Wired 4 Wireless

How did AT&T manage to be the only company bidding on the contract to bring Wi-Fi to St. Louis?

Valley Park to Mexican immigrants: "Adios, illegals!"

A small-town mayor's plan creates one big controversy.

City-wide Wi-Fi? Wi Not?

The Doctor Is Out