ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Tuesday night, St. Louis County Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution, requesting a federal audit of how the Loop Trolley spent federal dollars through an "Urban Circulator Grant."
This come after a few weeks ago, the Loop Trolley Company told local leaders they need $200,000 by Nov. 15 or they'll be forced to close.
They'll need another half a million to stay open through 2020.
Councilman Mark Harder sponsored the legislation.
"We want to know where this money went and why they’re coming up short after being open less than a year," says Councilman Harder.
Harder's resolution passed unanimously Tuesday night. The move officially asks St. Louis County-area members of Congress Lacy Clay, Ann Wagner, and Senators Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt, to have the Department of Transportation do a forensic audit of the grant money, the Loop Trolley received to build their infrastructure and business.
"Hopefully they won’t find anything out of the ordinary, but as taxpayers with the type of money we’re talking about here, I think we need to know," Harder told 5 On Your Side.
Councilman Harder fully admits that audit won't be completed by the time the trolley runs out of funding.
He said local businesses in the Loop should step up, and if that doesn't happen, the trolley should close.
"I think if they temporarily shut down during this time, maybe the community, if this is a viable opportunity for this trolley, I think the community will either rally behind it to make up the money, or they won’t," he said.
All of this comes as new speculation about the federal government wanting some or all of their money back on this project.
Our news partners at St. Louis Public Radio spoke to a representative of the East-West Gateway Council, who is in talks with the feds about how that process would work and how much the region would owe back to the government.
Supporters of the trolley argue, letting this project fail could jeopardize future federal money for transportation projects.
More local news:
RELATED: More than 150 businesses coming together to help families of 4 fallen first responders Wednesday