The First 100 Days: Mayor Cara Spencer

Today marks the 100th day since I was sworn in as Mayor of the City of St. Louis, and while these 100 days haven’t looked exactly like how I envisioned them when I took the oath of office, we still have a lot to celebrate. 

On day 31, our city faced historic devastation in the wake of the EF-3 tornado that tore through west and north St. Louis on May 16th. This catastrophic event fundamentally changed the lives of over 10,000 city residents, fundamentally altering many of our neighborhoods and has been and still remains the #1 task at hand for the City of St. Louis.

And yet in the midst of this devastation, and despite the monumental challenges that lie ahead, I have never been more inspired by and committed to the City of St. Louis than I am today. This tragedy put on display the resilience of our city. It showcased our capacity to come together across boundaries that often divide us to show up for neighbors in need. In the past two months we have witnessed a renewed spirit of cooperation and collaboration between elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels. I have been so inspired with the immense generosity and commitment from volunteers from across the region, grassroots organizations and local businesses that mobilized to meet the need, the local construction industry who mobilized volunteer contractor crews who donated services for weeks, and tireless efforts of City workers working overtime for weeks to address the most pressing needs of our community. 

We have a monumental task ahead of us — in restoring and rebuilding communities ravaged by this storm, reinvesting in our aging infrastructure and systems that hold our city back; in ensuring every resident has the opportunity to thrive in safe and vibrant communities. And I firmly believe it is the spirit we’ve mustered in the past 100 days that will get us there. I promise to continue to build on the budding of collaboration and innovation as we work to restore and rebuild our city.

-Mayor Cara Spencer 

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First 100 Days Priorities

Over the first 100 days, the Spencer Administration has focused its energies on the following priority areas: 

• Onboarding the Administration + Recruiting Key Leadership
• Tornado Response
• High-Quality City Services
• Economic Transformation & Inclusive Growth
• Public Safety & Justice
• Transparency & Good Governance

Onboarding + Key Leadership

Upon taking office, the first order of business for the Spencer Administration was taking stock of the state of City Government, better assessing the challenges and strengths at the department level and bringing in key leadership and innovative ideas to help drive success. 

• Highlights of Key City Leadership Changes in the First 100 Days: 
  • Ben Jonsson, Chief Operating Officer
  • Shawn Dace, Public Safety Director
  • Otis Williams, Interim Director of St. Louis Development Corporation
  • Emily Martin, Civil Service Commission
  • Julian Nicks, Chief Recovery & Neighborhood Transformation Officer
  • Launched national searches for long-term leadership for St. Louis Development Corporation and the Director of Personnel
• Named Transition Advisory Committees to Advise on Key Issues. Six Transition Advisory Committees were launched to offer robust ideas and recommendations for Mayor Spencer’s administration top priorities. The committees comprised of more than 45 St. Louis leaders from a wide range of backgrounds and sectors resulted in a combined report with short and long recommendations for actions to strategically address some of St. Louis’s biggest challenges. 

Tornado Response

The May 16 tornado left a deep scar across our city, especially in North St. Louis neighborhoods. It also presented a monumental challenge for our local government which was tasked with leading the response, restoration and rebuilding effort in the wake of unprecedented federal turmoil. City workers and volunteers have stepped up with Herculean effort, and their labor deserves our deepest thanks. But recovery means more than cleanup; it calls for unity in rebuilding and reimagining a stronger, more connected St. Louis.

• Secured Critical State of Emergency Declarations — Immediately after the storm, we implemented an executive order declaring a state of emergency in the City, which provided City departments with ongoing emergency powers to provide immediate, critical response. The Mayor’s Office also worked closely with the governor’s office to expedite emergency orders at the state level and coordinated with our federal delegation to call upon President Donald Trump to issue a federal major disaster declaration to put us on a path for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) support and funding, which was officially issued on Monday, June 9, 2025.
• Secured the Shelter and Safety of Residents 
  • Approximately 250 fire, EMS, and search and rescue personnel, with critical support from regional partners and agencies, searched nearly 2,500 structures and responded to over 400 emergencies in the first 24 hours.
  • Coordinated utility service restoration for electricity and water to critical locations including hospitals, schools, cell towers, supermarkets and more within the first 48 hours, thanks to the quick response by Ameren, the City’s Water Division, the Board of Public Service, and other partners.
  • Instituted a curfew in the affected area with extended shifts by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers to ensure the safety of residents and to reduce the risk of looting.
• Began Path to Clear Our Roads And Neighborhoods Of Debris
  • Restored right-of-way access on streets and alleys and removed more than 6,750,000 cubic feet of debris thanks to City workers and over 35 volunteer contractor crews coordinated by the city, who more than doubled our response capacity.
  • Worked with Gov. Kehoe and the State Emergency Management Agency to bring in the National Guard to manage four residential debris collection sites within the impact zone, in partnership with the SLPS, Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources and the City’s Health Department.
  • Restored all traffic signals and most streetlights in the tornado pathway.
  • Completed building safety assessments for more than 7,000 structures in the impact area with support from the Missouri Structural Assessment and Visual Evaluation (SAVE) Coalition and activated the help of additional MO SAVE building inspectors to continue safety inspections.
  • Partnered with Dr. Alex Garza of SSM Health, the City’s Health Department, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Missouri Behavioral Health Strike Force, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and more to monitor and address health and wellness concerns as a result of the tornado.
• Partnered To Ensure We Meet The Basic Needs Of Residents
  • Created the STLrecovers.com website as a centralized information resource for impacted residents and organizations seeking resources and volunteer opportunities.
  • Established emergency shelter options for affected individuals and families in collaboration with the American Red Cross and partnered with the Bi-State Metro public transportation system to implement nightly bus transportation to and from American Red Cross shelters for heavily impacted areas.
  • Coordinated the delivery of over 100 porta-potties, handwashing stations, mobile showers, telephone charging stations, and more in the tornado impacted area.
  • More than 350,000 hot meals have been served to neighbors in need by many partners, including Mercy Chefs, World Central Kitchen, Missouri Baptist, Salvation Army, Hot Meals USA, Soulcial Kitchen, American Red Cross, Little Caesars Love Kitchen, Currency of Caring Food Truck Network, and many local churches and restaurants.
  • Established a central warehouse to enable large donations and short term storage.
  • Coordinated establishment of over five Resource Hubs in the impacted area to distribute meals and supplies to impacted residents.
  • Continued daily canvassing by EMS, neighborhood improvement specialists and partners like the Spirit of St. Louis, and Board of Aldermen to check in on impacted households and share information about resources.
  • Worked with the Board of Aldermen to expand eligibility and funding for the Impacted Tenants Fund.
  • Coordinated the launch of the large-scale Disaster Assistance Center to provide residents with critical relief and resources with over 30 information vendors serving over 3K households and over 8.5K household members.
  • Coordinated and secured facilities for the launch of a Business Recovery Center and 3 accessible Disaster Recovery Centers in impacted neighborhoods with FEMA, SBA, Red Cross and other City Services; thus far we have served over 4.4K visitors, distributing over $28M in FEMA individual assistance aid across over 6.5K applicants and offering $8M in SBA loans to over 150 individuals or businesses.
• Secured Additional Funding to Support Recovery
  • Worked closely with Gov. Kehoe and state legislators to secure critical state relief, including $100 million in disaster relief for the City from the State, an up-to-$5,000 income tax credit per home per year for tornado-impacted individuals, and $25 million to increase disaster assistance housing response grants for renters and homeowners.
  • Collaborated closely with numerous parties, including the Board of Aldermen, City departments, and other City elected officials, to file and expedite passage of the following local legislation:
    • BB 23: expands eligibility of the Impacted Tenants’ Fund, which can provide an amount equal to a new rental deposit, to tornado-impacted tenants forced to relocate.
    • BB 24: gives our city assessor the power to make pro rata reduction in tornado- damaged property tax assessments.
    • BB 28: reappropriates $5 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for tornado emergency home repair, household assistance, and clean-up assistance.
    • BB 29: accepts $7 million in PRO Housing Grant funds, which will support a range of housing-related needs relevant to supporting tornado recovery efforts, including for some of our hardest hit neighborhoods–the Ville and Greater Ville.
    • BB 31: appropriates $30 million in Rams interest toward tornado recovery, specifically relocation assistance for residents, home repair, personal property storage & senior support services. 
  • Implemented executive order to focus $5.4 million in ARPA building stabilization funds towards emergency stabilization of tornado-impacted property owners.
  • Launched recovery funds with the St. Louis Community Foundation to raise funds for short-term needs and long-term recovery efforts.
• Established a Recovery Office to Lead Long-Term Efforts — Created a dedicated team within the Mayor’s Office to lead the recovery efforts long-term, to ensure the restoration and rebuild of the affected communities remains a top priority with appropriate staffing and resources.
• Established New and Expanded Existing Recovery Programs to Accelerate Restoration and Rebuild Efforts
  • Created the Emergency Stabilization Program to provide no-cost building stabilization (e.g., roof tarping, boarding up windows and doors, hazardous tree trimming or removal) to help residents protect their homes from further damage.
  • Doubled the budget for CDA’s Healthy Home Repair program through CDA with $5M additional allocation to provide free home repair services to impacted residents.
  • Launched Ask an Architect Program that provides free, in-person consultations with licensed architects from the St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects to help residents understand damage and plan their next steps.
  • Launched Electrical Reconnection Assistance Program to provide residents who are without electricity with free services to reconnect their homes to electric power in partnership with Guarantee Electric, ArchKey/Sachs, IBEW Local, the National Electrical Contractors Association St. Louis Chapter, Electrical Connections, RJP Electric and St. Louis Home Repair Network.
  • Launched Contractor Registry Portal to verify contractors’ licenses, insurance and certifications and provide them with a placard that allows residents to easily access those records and make informed decisions about who to hire for their tornado damage projects.

High Quality City Services

Improving the quality and efficient delivery of city services has always been—and continues to be—core to St. Louis’ success. Every pothole filled, tree trimmed, water line repaired, and park maintained is a City worker showing up every day with commitment and grit. I’m proud of the way our departments have mobilized to make progress on long standing challenges with service delivery while also going above and beyond for tornado response. 

• Launched “311” to Streamline Service Requests for Residents. To notify the city of a pothole in the road, a street lamp that’s out or any other service request, residents can now call “311” to reach the Citizens Service Bureau instead of needing to remember the department’s full phone number. This streamlined number is now available along with having the option to file requests online or via X on social media. 
• Improved Street Conditions and Managed Aging Infrastructure Crises 
  • Filled 1,805 pot holes since April 15th and reduced the backlog of pothole service requests by 70%.
  • Completed repaving on several major arterials and started work on additional high-traffic streets to improve street quality.  
    • Completed repaving and striping on: 
      • 7th Street from Walnut Street to iconic Washington Avenue has two brand new dedicated 2-way protected bike lanes. These once underappreciated blocks link the Busch Stadium to our America’s Center
      • Broadway Boulevard, from Cole to to Chouteau
      • Market Street, from 7th to Broadway
      • Convention Plaza, from Broadway to 7th
    • Started work on paving: 
      • Union, between Page and Delmar
      • Kingshighway, between Gravois and Vandeventer, adding new bike lanes between Gravois and Christy
  • Managed back-to-back street cave-ins by securing the areas in coordination with Metropolitan Sewer District, Streets Department and CEMA and communicated frequent updates with residents.
• Partnered with the Department of Personnel to Address Hiring Bottlenecks. In April, the Mayor’s Office convened a “RapidHire Taskforce” group across a few departments with 30%+ vacancies in critical service roles to assist with expediting hiring among a number of time sensitive positions including lifeguards for city recreation centers and seasonal workers for our parks and forestry teams.
• Reduced the Backlog for Liquor Licenses with the Excise Division — Reduced the licensing application backlog to only eight pending cases, due to improved personnel retention and recruitment and proactively extended liquor license renewal periods for tornado-affected businesses. 

Economic Transformation & Inclusive Growth

In these first three months, the Spencer Administration has begun to lay the groundwork to build a more thoughtful strategic approach to economic development and worked to re-evaluate and transform our current efforts.

• Shored Up Staffing for Plan Review in the Building Division — As of today, plan examination staffing is now at 90% capacity, with near-full staffing expected soon.   
• ARPA Deployment — Continued deployment of ~$500M of obligated ARPA funds into our underinvested communities and defining a path to ensure all is spent by the deadline in 2026. 
• Paused and reevaluated select programs:
  • Bi-State Green Line–re-evaluating additional spending and project viability to ensure project viability and federal matching.
  • Private Building Stabilization Program– paused this program and pivoted these funds to support building stabilization for properties impacted by the tornado.
• Announced a new downtown beautification project that will include Parks, Operation Brightside and the private sector.  
• Launched construction on the Tower Grove Connector Phase 1 from Magnolia to Vandeventer, adding dedicated bike and pedestrian infrastructure along one of the city’ most trafficked routes for bikers and walkers. Construction is well underway after many years of anticipation and excitement.  
• St. Louis City Water Utility Assistance Program — Launched a program to deploy  $1 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist residents with paying off past-due water accounts.
• Adapted the City Code to Better Accommodate Large Families — Collaborated with the Board of Alderman on a Board Bill 18, a bill updating City occupancy code to support large families’ ability to access housing across the entire City.
• Secured Community Project Funding — Worked with Congressman Bell’s office to identify projects for congressionally-directed spending and secured their inclusion in the pending FY 2026 federal budget, including:
  • $2M to support Phase II of replacing the aging Compton Bridge in order to improve pedestrian and cyclist access and safety;
  • $1.5M to support the renovation of the City’s Fire Training Tower;
  • $550,000 to upgrade the City’s EMS Simulation Training Lab;
  • $2M to support construction of the new Northside Youth and Senior Center in The Ville neighborhood; and
  • $3.2M to support construction of the new Southside Senior Center to improve seniors’ access to resources and quality of life.

Public Safety & Justice

Our administration is committed to building a safer and more just city for all and has taken meaningful steps during our first 100 days to improve conditions at the city’s jail, upgrade the city’s tornado siren system, and work collaboratively with our police department to improve public safety.

• Centering Community Amid State Takeover of Police - Upon appointment of the Transition Director and the newly appointed Board of Commissioners, the Spencer Administration immediately got to work ensuring that our community’s voice is prioritized in this new structure. The Mayor ensured the Board’s inaugural meeting reflected her detailed review, oversight over, and input into all proposals brought to the Board for discussion and decisionmaking.
• Enhanced Enforcement Strategy - The SLMPD ramped up enforcement over the 4th of July holiday weekend to increase safety Downtown and crack down on fireworks and other safety-related offenses.
• Tornado Siren Repair & Modernization — Restored 90% functionality of existing sirens and added an automated Rapid Warn technology. Expedited the plans to fully modernize the existing siren system, with funding and contracts secured. 
• Improved Access to Mental Health Resources within the City Justice Center (CJC) — Finalized a groundbreaking contract with the Missouri Department of Mental Health to provide in-house mental health services-cutting wait times from 14 months to immediate access MDMH will fund the staff, with services launching next month.
• Launched the Honor Dorm Initiative at CJC — Started a designated living area for model detainees engaged in work or programming-offering increased privileges to promote rehabilitation.
• Expanded Book Access at the CJC — Worked with St. Louis Public Library expanded access to reading materials for detainees and visitors' children; promotes literacy and wellness through donated books and are close to establishing the first full in-jail library in Missouri, promoting educational access for all detainees.
• Completed traffic calming infrastructure installation on Chippewa in front of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. The brand new mid-block crosswalk with a traffic signal and a pedestrian refuge island plus bumpouts, barriers, and lighting create a safe and fun environment for everyone to enjoy at one of St. Louis’s most iconic summer destinations.
• Launched a “Commend a First Responder” Initiative — Led by the Division of Civilian Oversight, this program allows residents to recognize outstanding work by police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel. 

Transparency & Good Governance

City services are only as strong as the trust that supports them. That’s why the City of St. Louis is investing not only in what we deliver — but how we deliver it. We are committed to meaningful civic participation, improved transparency, and building morale and positive culture for our City of St. Louis workforce. 

• Reinstated Access to the City Justice Center for the Detention Facilities Oversight Board — In June, the Mayor facilitated and participated in a tour of the city’s jail alongside the Detention Facilities Oversight Board, which had previously struggled in gaining access to the facility. The site visit provided an overview of current conditions and programs at the jail and opened a dialogue between the oversight board, the Department of Public Safety on improvements at the facility. 
• Held Three Community Town Halls — Convened communities across 6 wards to provide updates on the tornado response for affected communities, connect residents to resources and answer questions.
• Tow Lot Reform— Sales of vehicles were paused at the tow lot and protocols changed to ensure there was a transparent accounting of all transactions. 
• Sunshine Process Improvements — Convened the City’s legal department to identify changes that can be made to reduce backlogs and bottlenecks in the City’s management of sunshine requests. 
• Advocated for the City at the State Level — Defended against efforts by the Missouri Legislature to reduce and/or eliminate the City’s earnings tax.
• Celebrated City Workers — The administration is set to commemorate 100 days in office with a celebration of the hard work and dedication of city workers, with a free picnic for all city employees.

Mayor’s Office, City of St. Louis
Mayor Cara Spencer
1200 Market St., Room 200
St. Louis, MO 63103
P: (314) 622-3201
E: mayor@stlouis-mo.gov

Documents

• Mayor Spencer First 100 Days Print Report