ST. LOUIS, Missouri — When Board of Aldermen President Megan Green swung the gavel to conclude Monday's meeting, a city that has lost more than half of its population over half a century lost half of its aldermen in an instant.
'Beginning and an end'
Ten incumbent members and four newly-elected members will swear the oath of office at inaugural ceremonies on Tuesday and take their seats on the second floor of City Hall more than a decade after voters opted to slash the city's 28 wards in half.
"Today's a beginning and an end," Alderman Tom Oldenburg (New 2nd Ward) said outside the hallway doors that lead into the chamber. "It's the end of the old session and the old board, and we start fresh tomorrow."
"This is certainly an historic moment for the City of St. Louis to go from 28 to 14," Alderwoman Cara Spencer (New 8th Ward) echoed. "Bittersweet in some ways, but certainly a much needed chance to really shrink the board of aldermen and really focus."
Ambitious alders
Oldenburg and Spencer ran Aldergeddon's gauntlet and came out with some of the highest vote totals out of any ward in the city. Both are considering running for citywide office in 2025 when the offices of mayor and comptroller come up for election.
"Those are two offices that certainly I will have interest in," Oldenburg said.
"I have received a lot of encouragement to consider other positions," Spencer said. "But I'm really focused on on addressing the issues, particularly downtown and in North Saint Louis, where we're seeing a significant amount of population loss. We have to turn around or the ship will continue to go in a negative direction."
Pivotal point
Tuesday's transition represents a pivotal point for the city's political future.
The mayor's office and Board of Aldermen are now accepting applications from interested citizens who wish to help craft a new proposed city charter. That document could remove outdated language, modernize hiring processes, and unlock new potential for the city.
The city's legislative body still enjoys record levels of available funds, thanks to the federal American Rescue Plan Act and the Rams settlement.
With half as many members at the Board of Aldermen, the president and the mayor have suggested there will be fewer obstacles to enacting their agenda.
Out with the old
Before the new board takes its place, city workers had to do some housekeeping. 5 On Your Side's TV news cameras were rolling when movers came into the chambers to clear out 14 desks.
"Do I feel anything seeing them go? I do," Board of Aldermen Clerk Terry Kennedy said.
He and his staff had just finished going around the room, clearing off table tops and replacing items with a single sheet of copy paper that said, "Keep," or "Remove."
Before movers came in and hauled the old furniture away, Kennedy made a final pass through the room, pulled open each desk drawer, and wrote the names of politicians from the past inside with a black permanent marker.
"It's important to know who has been here before, because that gives you some sense of how far the city has come," Kennedy said.
Before he was appointed clerk, Kennedy served as the 18th Ward Alderman.
He opened one desk drawer and revealed his signature right next to his father's, who also served the city's north side during the Civil Rights era.
"We don't want to lose that history," Kennedy said. "Specifically because initially, women and African Americans were not allowed in these chambers. And so it's important that it's documented."
Renewed rivalries
As incoming members set their sights on the next chapter of the city's history, some of the recent squabbles threaten to cast a long shadow over their work.
"I am still kind of in agony that we are losing three Black men from the Board of Aldermen," Alderwoman Sharon Tyus (New 12th Ward) said. "While the progressives celebrate their victories, it is at the expense of the Black neighborhoods and the Black representation."
During the final day of debate, several of the city's elders rose and made remarks expressing concerns about the direction of the younger generation.
Marlene Davis, who opted to retire instead of seek re-election, appeared to direct a word of warning towards Mayor Jones and progressives who have consolidated political power at City Hall.
"The people will turn on you, because people don't like dictatorship," Davis said, recounting bitter divisions from years past that mired City Hall in infighting as the population continued to decline.
Davis said she wished the city's incoming elected officials would recognize the downfalls of dysfunction and "continue to grow" in the spirit of collaboration.
"This city needs it," she said. "Because I'll be one of them that leave if you don't get it together."
"There are many people who are just waiting," Davis said. "They're going to give us a little break. Maybe a year, 18 months. But they're going to leave. That includes businesses. Because they're saying, 'There's no excuse anymore. You got money. You reduced the Board. All these things you said you wanted to do.'"
In with the new
Tyus also lamented the loss of institutional knowledge and experience as incoming younger members replace outgoing older ones.
"You're 29 and you think you know everything, and you don't," Tyus said, pulling rank over new Alderman-elect Rasheen Aldridge, who left his post as a state representative to challenge incumbents James Page and Brandon Bosley in the new 14th Ward.
Tyus repeatedly chastised President Green and Mayor Tishaura Jones for campaigning against Bosley and Page, and against her, the longest serving member of the board.
"When you come for the queen or the king, the beehive will come for you," Tyus said.
Aldridge is joined by Daniela Velazquez, Alisha Sonnier, and Michael Browning as the new incoming freshman class.
Double duty
Several current and incoming members of the board have stepped away from their duties at other places of employment to make room for the workload that is about to appear on their desk. With twice as many constituents in each ward, the number of complaints and requests are expected to test the limits of each member's focus.
"It's going to be a lot more paperwork. We're going to have to be more responsive," Oldenburg said.
Alderman-elect Michael Browning in the new 9th Ward recently announced he resigned his post at Washington University to work full-time at the board.
Incumbent Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, who won re-election to the new First Ward, said she resigned from her political consulting post on March 31, but may keep a part-time job teaching yoga.
Incumbent Alderman Joe Vollmer, who co-owns Milo's Tavern with his wife, said he expects his spouse, and his staff can help him manage duties at the bar while he's at the board.
Alderwoman-elect Daniela Velazquez, who won in the new 6th Ward, said she ended her full-time employment at public relations firm Fleischmann Hillard "last week," and "While I may continue to do some consulting with them and others, I am fully committed to a working arrangement that puts the people of the 6th Ward first."
Incumbent Alderman Bret Narayan, an attorney by trade, bested outgoing Alderman Joe Vaccaro in the election earlier this month. Narayan said he'll be "working full-time as the 4th Ward Alderman," and that he hasn't done substantial work at his law firm "in nearly two years."
Oldenburg plans to stay on as vice-president of community development at U.S. Bank.
"The charter is pretty clear that Aldermen -- and the mayor, for that matter -- are allowed to have other employment and seek other employment," he said. "I'm confident, encouraged that the residents and the voters of the 2nd Ward put me in this chair because I am a professional, because I have a subject matter expertise, and I also go to work in another capacity in the banking industry, which, in my theory, makes me a better alderman."
Outside employment allowed
A letter from Louis Galli, the legal counsel for the Board of Aldermen, said neither the city charter nor a recent board bill would "prohibit Aldermen from holding full-time, outside employment while in office."
Board Bill 119, however, does require that Aldermen, “dedicate themselves to the official duties and obligations of their office on average 32 hours per week for each year they are in office," Galli wrote.
The requirement says, “Aldermen may engage in employment in addition to their work for the City of St. Louis and its residents provided that such employment does not interfere with their primary responsibility to the city and its residents to satisfactorily carry out their duties and obligations as Aldermen.”
Spencer, who works at St. Louis Bank, described them as "a very flexible employer," and said her role there has "been part-time for some time."
"I consider myself a full-time single mom as well," Spencer said. "I have a lot of a lot of plates I juggle. But I like to think that having different interests makes a whole person."
The new members are still working through the legislative process to determine how many staff members will be available to assist them in their expanded roles.
"I'm really looking forward to some clarity as to what additional resources we're going to have as we go down to 14," Spencer said. "There's been discussion in personnel of having a legislative assistant for each one of us, which would be new for the Board of Aldermen."
The first meeting for the new Board of Aldermen is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. after the inaugural ceremonies.