ST. LOUIS, Missouri — Standing four stories under a stained glass ceiling, St. Louis Alderwoman Megan Green swore the oath of office Monday morning and became the first woman ever inaugurated as the President of the Board of Aldermen.
Green's special election victory represents a symbol of progress for women in local politics.
For the first time in the city's 258-year history, city hall will be completely controlled by women.
Green joins Comptroller Darlene Green and Mayor Tishaura Jones in the triumvirate atop the powerful panel of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment which controls the city's purse strings.
"No dollar will be spent by the City of St. Louis without the approval of three powerful women leaders," mayor Jones said during the inaugural ceremony.
Alderwoman Green takes the gavel from interim President Joe Vollmer, who simultaneously serves as alderman of the 10th Ward.
"It's a tough job. I won't miss it," Vollmer said after watching Green deliver her inaugural address.
"It's a new dawn for St. Louis," Vollmer said. "We have all women in the top three positions, and God bless them. Hopefully we're going to get something done here together."
Green's victory comes five months before she will have to run for re-election to a full four-year term and before a new slate of candidates will compete for half as many jobs in a consolidated city hall.
"We must prepare the 28-member board of aldermen to be reorganized as a body of 14 members," Green said.
Next spring, the city will have half as many local politicians; however, each of them will represent twice as many constituents.
"I do think we're in a new era right now of change in the city, so I think it's a really great opportunity," new aldermanic candidate Daniela Velazquez said.
Velazquez filed petition signatures to appear on April ballot in the new ward vacated by Green and current incumbent Alderwoman Annie Rice who does not plan to seek re-election.
Green vowed to hit a reset button in a chamber where personal feuds often obstructed legislative agendas.
"I promise an end to the toxic culture in the chamber over the past few years," Green said. "Those bully days are over."
She highlighted a number of progressive policy proposals in addition to vague descriptions about plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Rams settlement.
"We must provide the compensation and benefits, like childcare, home buying assistance, and student loan assistance that is necessary to attract and retain the workers we need," she said. "We must increase the availability of affordable housing pursue efforts to prevent the need for evictions, ensure the right to form unions, and ensure that public benefits are attached to all publicly subsidized projects."
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