Economic Development & Job Creation Tops List For Aldermen

Last week readers selected. from a long list, the issues they’d like to see our 28 aldermen work on in 2011.

Q: What are three issues you’d like the St. Louis Board of Aldermen to address in 2011? (Pick 3)

1. Economic development/job creation 80 [18.31%]
2. Reducing the number of city elected offices, including aldermen 73 [16.7%]
3. Rejoinging/merging with St. Louis County 63 [14.42%]
4. The budget – reducing expenses and/or increasing revenue 46 [10.53%]
5. New form-based zoning 41 [9.38%]
6. Defeating the April ballot measure to repeal the earnings tax. 39 [8.92%]
7. Local control of the St. Louis Police 36 [8.24%]
8. Ballpark Village 18 [4.12%]
9. Homelessness 15 [3.43%]
10. Other answer… 11 [2.52%]
11. A comprehensive valet ordinance. 8 [1.83%]
12. Attracting a pro basketball team to the city 6 [1.37%]
13. Create boundaries of one ward so we might see an Asian or Hispanic elected in the future 1 [0.23%]

Not surprising that “Economic development/job creation” topped the list.  But what does that look like from a body that can pass ordinances? Tax abatement? TIFs?

The 11 other answers were:

1. Cannabis reform
2. Citywide demolition review
3. Making ward boundaries so that neighborhoods are not split among multiple wards
4. Cracking down on brick/copper thieves
5. taking a long hard look at City education, i.e. investigating admin. corruption
6. crime
7. Work to pass the earnings tax and wring the difference out of the budget
8. pension reform
9. Get real on balancing pension obligations and funding!
10. None. Violence is no way to organize a society.
11. establishment of checks and balances

Pensions are certainly a topic I should have included on my list.  Not sure how a legislative body can impact crime, other than toughen our ordinances. Similarly, I don’t see how the aldermen can improve education.  More economic development & jobs, however, would indirectly reduce crime and improve education.

Your thoughts?

– Steve Patterson

Last Day To File For March Partisan Primary, Independents Have More Time For General

Today is the last day to file to be on the March primary ballot. Here are important dates from the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners:

March 8, 2011 Primary Municipal Election:
a. November 29, 2010 – Opening of filing.
b. January 7, 2011 – Close of filing.
c. January 27, 2011 – Last day to withdraw as a candidate.
d. January 25, 2011 – Start of absentee voting.
e. February 9, 2011 – Close of registration.

April 5, 2011 General Municipal Election:
a. December 14, 2010 – School Board Candidate Filing Opens
b. January 18, 2011 – School Board Candidate Filing Closes
c. March 9, 2011 – Start of absentee voting (or as soon after March 8 as possible).
d. March 9, 2011 – Close of registration.

Not mentioned above is how to bypass the partisan primary on March 8th but be on the April 5th general ballot.  Independent candidates for the (14) even numbered aldermanic seats or for president of the board of aldermen need to collect signatures from registered voters:

Independent Candidates. A person who desires to run for municipal office as a non-partisan or independent candidate must pay the applicable filing fee to the Office of the City Treasurer, obtain a receipt therefor, and file the receipt with the Election Board at the same time he/she files his/her declaration papers. A non-partisan/independent candidate must also file with the Election Board a nominating petition signed by registered voters equal in number to at least two percent (2%) of the votes cast at the last preceding mayoral election. The deadline to file such a petition is the eighth Monday prior to the applicable General Municipal Election.

The filing fee for alderman is $333.33.  The deadline is February 14, 2011.  Using the 6th ward as an example, “the number of voters in April 2009 was 1,626; 2% of that number is 33 signatures, rounded up” says Deputy Democratic Director Matthew Potter.  Thirty-three signatures isn’t bad, the number may be more or less in your ward.  The number would be substantial to run for a citywide office as an independent.

As of the most recent candidate list, a number of offices only have one candidate.  It is hard to let “voters decide” with only a single candidate.  I’d love to see a bunch of independent candidates this year, making the April general election not seem so useless.

– Steve Patterson

Reducing The Number Of Aldermen

Many have long thought 28 members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen is excessive for a population of 350,000.  Across the river in Granite City IL they will have the size of their city council go from 14 members to 10 in April.  The numbers of wards will go from 7 to 5, each ward has two representatives.

In the 2011 election, all 10 seats will be up for election for either two- or four-year terms.(source)

The two & four year terms will allow for staggered 4-year terms going forward.  Their thinking was fewer residents so you need fewer elected representatives. If only we’d get wind of such logic on this side of the river!

Here is a list of past decades with the number of residents per St. Louis alderman in parenthesis.

• 2000 (12,435)
• 1990 (14,167)
• 1980 (16,171)
• 1970 (22,223)
• 1960 (26,787)
• 1950 (30,600)
• 1940 (29,145)
• 1930 (29,356)

Were the aldermen of decades past so much more competent that they could represent more than twice as many residents as our current aldermen? Granted, they didn’t need to respond to constituent emails.  Maybe, just maybe, the bureaucracy was such that citizens went there first rather than ring their aldermen? As our population declined the aldermen changed the system so they were thought to be indispensable?

Ald Fred Heitert was first sworn into office in 1979.  After the 1980 census each alderman represented just over 16,000 persons.  If we were to use this number, from the first year of a current alderman, we could go from 28 to 22 (based on 350,000 residents).  1970 was in my lifetime, if we use the 22,223 per alderman figure we would be at 16. Based on the 1950 peak we’d have only 11.

I have no clue what the magic number should be.  Perhaps we should have two aldermen per ward such as Granite City does?  It is time to reexamine how our city government is structured.  If little Granite City IL can do it, why can’t we?

– Steve Patterson

Poll: What Issues Would You Like The Board of Aldermen To Address In 2011?

There is still some time left in the current session of the Board of Aldermen ends, the last meeting before the Spring break is Thursday February 10, 2011.  A new session begins in April 2011.

My poll question this week asks: “What are three issues you’d like the St. Louis Board of Aldermen to address in 2011?”

The answers are numerous but you have have additional ideas, pick up to three.  The poll is in the upper right of the blog.

– Steve Patterson

Readers: Missouri Shouldn’t Lower Cap On Historic Tax Credits

In July of this year Gov Nixon created the Missouri Tax Credit Review Commission, co-chaired by Steve Stogel & Senator Chuck Gross, to review the various state tax credit programs, including the successful historic preservation tax credit.  From the detailed historic preservation subcommittee report:

“A well-thought-out and skillfully drafted tax incentive for historic preservation cannot achieve its objectives if the total amount of credits that can be awarded annually is subject to a statutory limit, particularly if the limit is fixed at a low figure…

…Where demand for credits exceeds the amount permitted by law, applicants either must compete for credits or participate in a lottery or other arbitrary allocation system. Projects that truly require the state credit to be financially feasible have tended to be discouraged from participating because of the lack of certainty as to the outcome, the cost of preparing a competitive application that nonetheless may be unsuccessful, and the difficulties of keeping financing commitments in place during the evaluation process.”

Still it is possible Missouri will lower the cap on our historic preservation tax credit, thus prompting my poll question & post last week:

Q: Missouri is considering lowering the cap on the Historic Rehab Tax Credit from $140 mil to $75 mil. Reaction?Bad idea, this credit pays for itself 75 70.75%

1. Bad idea, this credit pays for itself 75 [70.75%]
2. Good idea to lower the limit 11 [10.38%]
3. I’d set the cap even lower 6 [5.66%]
4. Other answer… 6 [5.66%]
5. We should eliminate this tax credit entirely. 4 [3.77%]
6. Unsure/no opinion 4 [3.77%]

The six “other” answers were:

1. Fight for $100 million in order to be realistic about state of politics
2. The cuts have to come from somewhere.
3. There are probably other tax credits that should be lowered before this one.
4. I’m not happy, but I realize we are in the middle of a recession
5. sacrifices have to be made to have a balanced budget
6. Good idea if and only if savings are put towards job creation tax credits

No surprise that over 70% of the readership wants the state to not lower the cap.

In November 2008 nearly 85% of St. Louis voters supported Democrat Jay Nixon for Governor.  Statewide Nixon received just over 58% of the vote, showing how much St. Louis voters support Democrats.  Will Gov Nixon listen to the people of St. Louis, or does he know we always vote for the Democrat regardless?

St. Louis and communities across the state need the historic tax credit to put buildings back into use, creating jobs & revitalizing areas along the way.

– Steve Patterson