ST. LOUIS 鈥 The city this month launched a new grant program designed to pump $37 million into businesses and nonprofits along many of north St. 不良研究所导航网址鈥檚 main thoroughfares.
Designed to send some of the city鈥檚 nearly $500 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to some of the poorest parts of the city, the program approved by aldermen in April handed administrative duties to
But it contained one provision that, at the time, gave some officials pause: All grants need approval from the area鈥檚 alderman 鈥渧ia letter on the Alderman鈥檚 letterhead.鈥
鈥淚f the Alderman of the ward does not send a letter of support on their letterhead, then the project shall not be funded or approved by SLDC,鈥 says the language of the ordinance authorizing the program.
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The provision codified the 鈥渁ldermanic courtesy鈥 that has long been tradition in St. 不良研究所导航网址, through which aldermen wield quiet veto power over tax incentives, development projects and many of the functions of city government in their wards.
But that tradition is under new scrutiny following this month鈥檚 federal indictments against three members of the Board of Aldermen.
鈥淢y concern with that provision has been from the beginning,鈥 said Alderman Annie Rice, 8th Ward. 鈥淲e need a very formal, very public process for how that support is given. Otherwise, we need to consider taking that provision out.鈥
Nick Desideri, a spokesman for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, said the aldermanic approval language 鈥渃aught our attention.鈥 The mayor鈥檚 office, he said, is 鈥渆xploring language to strengthen accountability and transparency around important investments like those in鈥 the grant program.
The indictments, unsealed on June 2, accuse Aldermen John Collins-Muhammad and Jeffrey Boyd of using aldermanic courtesy to cash in, accepting bribes after providing required support letters to a business owner looking to purchase city-owned land and obtain property tax breaks, functions processed by SLDC staff. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed was also implicated, accused of accepting bribes after using his post to help the businessman obtain favorable legislation.
Collins-Muhammad resigned on May 12; Boyd and Reed resigned after they were indicted.
Reed pushed hard for the provision requiring aldermanic approval for applicants to the new commercial corridor grant program. And many of the eligible corridors 鈥 Martin Luther King Drive, Union Avenue, Goodfellow Boulevard, Natural Bridge Avenue 鈥 ran through the wards of Boyd and Collins-Muhammad.
Eligible areas were in the wards of many of Reed鈥檚 allies on the Board of Aldermen. The new power over millions of dollars has kicked in just as aldermen launch campaigns and raise money for reelection next March, when the number of seats will be slashed to 14 from 28, requiring an election for each of the newly drawn wards.
The northside corridor grant plan was the subject of one of the first political confrontations between Reed and Jones after the mayor took office last year. Reed and his allies pushed for the plan in a larger appropriation bill for COVID-19 relief money, arguing north St. 不良研究所导航网址 was in dire need of investment. But Jones contended it amounted to 鈥済eneral economic development鈥 barred by federal rules. She ended up vetoing the north side grant program.
Earlier this year, however, the U.S. Treasury Department clarified rules on the relief funds to make it clear that local governments had wide discretion on spending the money so long as it was directed to low-income areas. All of north St. 不良研究所导航网址 qualified.
Reed reintroduced the bill in March. At the time, Reed鈥檚 office argued the aldermanic approval provision pushed decision-making closer to the community and would be similar to aldermanic support traditionally required for zoning bills and sales of city land bank property.
Comptroller Darlene Green, during a March meeting of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, which oversees city spending, proposed removing the provision requiring individual aldermen to approve the grants, calling it a 鈥渉urdle鈥 to getting money to north St. 不良研究所导航网址.
Reed protested, saying the grants would then 鈥渏ust be up to some administrative person.鈥 Requiring the alderman鈥檚 approval, he said, ensures they can 鈥済o out and inform their constituents about what鈥檚 happening鈥 and gather input to 鈥渨ork with SLDC to fine-tune what鈥檚 happening.鈥
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not an additional hurdle,鈥 Reed said during the March meeting. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a safeguard.鈥
Aldermanic approval now a 鈥榗loud鈥
The aldermanic approval provision remained in the final bill, passed unanimously by aldermen in April after negotiations with Green and Jones. The final version of the bill actually expanded aldermanic influence, giving them veto power over any grant 鈥 not just those larger than $100,000, as Reed鈥檚 original proposal did.
Alderman Sharon Tyus, who represents areas eligible for the grant funding, helped broker the compromise and argued giving aldermen veto power was important. She said the mayor wanted to take the aldermanic approval provision out but Green ended up supporting it.
鈥淚 want to find anybody in the city who knows my community better than me,鈥 Tyus said Friday. 鈥淎ldermen are representative of a ward. They have much more hands-on knowledge than the mayor or anyone else does.鈥
Aldermen, Tyus said, are accountable to their voters, and corruption can also occur within the unelected bureaucracy.
鈥淭here鈥檚 crooked people everywhere,鈥 Tyus said. 鈥淓veryone wants to talk about the aldermen, but it鈥檚 not just the aldermen.鈥
Jones, who ran on a platform of driving more investment to north St. 不良研究所导航网址, ultimately signed the bill during a May ceremony with U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. 不良研究所导航网址, and several northside aldermen. Desideri said the mayor had to work with other officials to get the program passed but that the office was taking another look at the aldermanic approval provision as well as other ethics reforms.
鈥淐onsidering these shocking corruption charges,鈥 he said, 鈥渨e don鈥檛 want to take anything off the table that will help us begin restoring the trust that was broken鈥 by Reed, Boyd and Collins-Muhammad.
Asked whether she had any concerns with the aldermanic approval provision following the indictments, Green in a statement Friday said 鈥渨hat鈥檚 most important is that a fair and honest process is provided for deserving grant applicants in our community.鈥
鈥淚 agree with Mayor Jones that the indictments of the three aldermen have put a stain on our city which may have far-reaching effects,鈥 Green said. 鈥淯nfortunately, this has put a cloud over those that use aldermanic approval honestly, as well.鈥
Posted at 6 a.m. Monday, June 13.