City bid for airport privatization leads to calls for regional governance

December 3, 2019

By Gloria Lloyd News Editor glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com So far the process that could potentially lead to the privatization of the St. Louis airport is mostly a mystery, with the city of St. Louis’ closed-door discussions leading to calls by neighboring officials for greater regional control o...

Stenger coveted ‘metro mayor’ position

August 7, 2019

By Gloria Lloyd News Editor glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com In a prison-time recommendation ahead of sentencing this week for former County Executive Steve Stenger on corruption charges, federal prosecutors outlined Stenger’s attitude toward St. Louis County and Better Together’s city-county merg...

Prosecutors say Stenger does not deserve break in prison sentence

August 5, 2019

By Gloria Lloyd News Editor glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com Federal prosecutors argued in court documents filed last week that former County Executive Steve Stenger should not receive a lower prison sentence than the recommended three to four years because he was a bully who treated St. Louis Count...

Days before city-county merger withdrawn, Missouri House overwhelmingly approved resolution for local vote

May 9, 2019

By Erin Achenbach Staff Reporter eachenbach@callnewspapers.com A resolution that would require that any merger of St. Louis County and city be approved by a local vote was approved by the Missouri House last week, just ahead of the decision by backers of the proposed merger to withdraw the plan for no...

Attorney sends letters to every county municipality asking for documents on merger

April 22, 2019

Pictured above: Roughly 20 members of south county Republican groups waved signs in a show of support for 6th District Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-Oakville, at the intersection of South Lindbergh Boulevard and Tesson Ferry Road in 2017. Trakas himself made an appearance at the event with signs against a c...

Sunset Hills officials oppose proposed city-county merger

April 17, 2019

By Erin Achenbach Staff Reporter eachenach@callnewspapers.com Cities across South County are voicing their opinions on Better Together’s plan for a city-county merger, including city officials from Sunset Hills, who have promised to fight the merger and a statewide vote. “Our biggest co...

Better Together says merger could save over $1 billion a year by 2032

By Gloria Lloyd, News Editor

February 26, 2019

By Gloria Lloyd News Editor glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com The backers of a city-county merger for St. Louis County and city are saying that the plan will save taxpayers across the region $55 million a year from the start and up to $1 billion annually a decade after the start of the new megacity....

Grassroots opposition rallies against merger

By Gloria Lloyd, News Editor

February 14, 2019

By Gloria Lloyd News Editor glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com Lines are being drawn in the battle for and against a St. Louis city-county merger, or the “creation of a new city,” depending on how you want to frame it. A $25 million campaign to create a new St. Louis “metro city” is gearing up to first gather...

County cities backing Board of Freeholders over Better Together plan

By Gloria Lloyd, News Editor

January 30, 2019

By Gloria Lloyd News Editor glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com The Municipal League of Metro St. Louis, which has as members nearly every city in St. Louis County, is spearheading an alternative to a nonprofit’s plan to use a statewide vote on a city-county merger to force St. Louis County, city and...

Better Together releases its plan for one St. Louis with city-county merger

By Gloria Lloyd, News Editor

January 28, 2019

By Gloria Lloyd News Editor glorialloyd@callnewspapers.com If voters across Missouri agree, all of St. Louis County and city could be consolidated by 2022 into one large “metro city” under a single government – including one mayor, council and police department – that backers say will save mo...