Proposal to Reduce the Size of the Saint Louis Board of Aldermen

State and Local Government | November 1, 2012

By David Stokes | Read Time 1 minute

Voters in the city of Saint Louis will decide on Tuesday if they would like to reduce the size of the Board of Aldermen from 28 to 14 (not including the president of the Board, which remains the same under either scenario). I think this would be a good change for the city. Why, you ask, would it be a positive change? Well, check out this op-ed on Proposition R and dive into the joy of debates about government structure.

For more information on the general question of government structure in Missouri, check out my policy study and this essay on the subject.

About the Author

David Stokes

David Stokes is a St. Louis native and a graduate of Saint Louis University High School and Fairfield (Conn.) University. He spent six years as a political aide at the St. Louis County Council before joining the Show-Me Institute in 2007. Stokes was a policy analyst at the Show-Me Institute from 2007 to 2016. From 2016 through 2020 he was Executive Director of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, where he led efforts to oppose harmful floodplain developments done with abusive tax subsidies. Stokes rejoined the Institute in early 2021 as the Director of Municipal Policy. He is a past president of the University City Library Board. He served on the St. Louis County 2010 Council Redistricting Commission and was the 2012 representative to the Electoral College from Missouri’s First Congressional District. He lives in University City with his wife and their three children.

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