ST. LOUIS COUNTY 鈥 An effort is underway at the St. 不良研究所导航网址 County Council to channel $20 million in NFL Rams settlement money to repairing major county roads and streets in some subdivisions.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge need,鈥 said Councilman Mark Harder, a Ballwin Republican who introduced the proposal at the council meeting Tuesday night. 鈥淥ur roads are in bad shape, especially after this winter.鈥
He said he has bipartisan support. Council Chairwoman Shalonda Webb, D-North County, confirmed that she will be a co-sponsor.
The county received $169.3 million from the $790 million settlement in 2021 of a lawsuit over the Rams鈥 departure for Los Angeles.
Under Harder鈥檚 proposal, $10 million would be allotted to repair arterial roads across the county and $10 million to county-maintained subdivision streets in unincorporated areas. Some of the amount could be used for sidewalks and curbs, he said.
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He added that the $10 million set aside for arterial roads could be a match for federal funds, which could draw in additional money. 鈥淲e can leverage that and maybe get $60 million out of it,鈥 he said.
Harder said County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, has yet to say whether he will support the bill. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been quiet so far,鈥 Harder said.
Asked to comment by the Post-Dispatch, Page spokesman Doug Moore said 鈥渢here are no restrictions or deadlines on how to spend these funds so we need to be thoughtful and look at how the funds can be used in an equitable way.鈥
Moore also pointed out that the settlement funds continue to draw significant amounts in interest for the county, producing about $5 million so far.
St. 不良研究所导航网址 got $250 million from the settlement. City aldermen have yet to decide how to allocate the city鈥檚 share but recently announced the results of an online poll that will be considered as they make their decision.
Fixing water mains, calming streets and increasing wages for city employees were the top vote-getters in the poll.
Other top pitches included plans to offer free or low-cost child care to residents, to improve downtown streets and sidewalks, and to finance redevelopment efforts in struggling areas.
Some aldermen want to continue investing all or most of the settlement money and spend only the interest.