A Message for City Employees about Better Together Recommendations

Better Together's Recommendations to identify the governmental, economic barriers to prosperity.

January 28, 2019 | 2 min reading time

This article is 5 years old. It was published on January 28, 2019.

Dear City Employees,

Today, the Better Together Task Force is presenting a plan to bring the ‘old city’ and the ‘old county’ together into one new Metropolitan St. Louis City.

The proposal calls for combining the 88 muni’s and the City and County into one new Metro St. Louis City. The new Metro St. Louis will have about the same population as Dallas – 1.3 million people. It is envisioned to have 1 police department, 1 municipal court system, and to combine most City and County departments.

You make City government work. Your hard work and dedication is the best thing about City government – our residents, businesses and I value and appreciate what you do every day!! You know firsthand how hard it can be to deliver good service – and get things done.

If this plan passes, none of you will lose your job - every City employee will become an employee of the new Metro St. Louis government. Also, importantly, you will stay in your pension system and none of your benefits will be lost.

The seat of this new government will continue to be in downtown St Louis – with some services and offices throughout the new region.

The fragmented government that we have in this region today – with 55 police departments, 80 muni courts, 88 municipalities, and dozens of economic development efforts - results in fussing and fighting as we try to compete with each other for the next new Walgreens, or who should pay for the Convention Center, or how to serve our people best.  

In our hearts we know that our fragmented government does not work well for all of us. We know our communities have starkly different outcomes in life expectancy, educational attainment, and job opportunities.

I know this is not easy… Change is never easy. I know you and your families are worried… but I want to reiterate that you will keep your jobs and pensions.

I also know we can create a new Metro St. Louis, a more equitable St. Louis, with more and better opportunities for all of our kids… and grandkids.  

More information is at www.bettertogetherstl.com. Thank you for everything you do!

Lyda

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