Letter to the Editor

To the editor:
In his Oct. 26 letter to the editor, Anthony Pousosa claims that many are “clueless” as to any proposals for a city-county merger and that he has been trying to educate the community with facts regarding reunification.
Apparently, it is Mr. Pousosa who is “clueless.” He states that Article VI, Section 30 of the Missouri Constitution “already dictates” that the governments of the city and county would consolidate into one political subdivision under the municipal government of the city of St. Louis should reunification occur. This statement by Mr. Pousosa is incorrect and misinforms the public.
Article VI, Section 30 establishes a procedure for the creation of a board of freeholders, now called electors, upon petitions filed by a required percentage of voters in both the city and the county. This procedure has been in the Missouri Constitution for over 100 years. It was used successfully in the 1950s to create the Metropolitan Sewer District.
An attempt to use it for a city-county merger was narrowly rejected by the voters of both the city and county in 1987.
Under the Constitution, the board of electors would have several options in formulating a plan to bring to a vote of the people, only one of which is the consolidation of the city and county into the city of St. Louis.
A second option is just the opposite. It would allow the county to absorb the city and reorganize. The Constitution further provides that “the people … shall have power” to “adopt any other plan.”
There is currently no board of electors in existence, nor, to my knowledge, even a petition drive to create such a board. If, and when, any plan of reunification of the city and the county should be proposed, we will all have an opportunity to carefully consider it and vote on it. In doing so, we will look to area leaders for information and informed opinion.
If this is any indication of the quality of Mr. Pousosa’s information and opinion, then I suggest area voters look elsewhere.
Greg Luzecky
south county