Readers: Move Parking Out of Treasurer’s Office
During the democratic primary Tishaura Jones noted that no other city places the responsibility for parking management under the office of treasurer. I didn’t check other cities to verify this claim but it seems valid.
In the poll last week it became very clear readers agree with Jones about removing parking from the treasurer’s office:
Q: Parking Management, Planning, & Revenues for St. Louis Should:
- Made part of a city department subject to oversight by the mayor and board
of Aldermen 58 [90.63%]- Be kept within the “county” office of treasurer 6 [9.38%]
- Unsure/No Opinion 0 [0%]
- Other: 0 [0%]
Moving responsibility for parking will require changing Missouri law, as Jones indicated during the primary.
Missouri statues Chapter 54 establishes the office of treasurer for each county and details the office responsibilities. The office is about handling the county’s money (St. Louis is a city-county), not parking meters and garages. Except for the City of St. Louis.
St. Louis is a “constitutional charter city” which has its own chapter, Chapter 82. There are numerous statutes relating to the office of treasurer such as:
82.485. 1. The treasurer of any city not within a county is hereby made and constituted supervisor of parking meters. (full statute)
and
82.516. For such services as supervisor of parking meters, the city treasurer may receive the sum of sixteen thousand dollars per year from the parking fund, as approved by the parking commission. (statute)
Nice salary bonus for handling parking!
Tishaura Jones will face two challengers in the November 6, 2012 general election, a Green and Republican. Jones is expected to win. The winner will be sworn into office in January 2013.
— Steve Patterson