Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

According to a recent audit by Auditor Galloway, 52% of TIFs and tax abatements are going to 4 wards -- wards that already have the highest assessed property values. As mayor, I will be intentional with our investments in a way that we have not seen historically. We need to steer investment to the areas that have not seen it for decades and away from the uber wealthy in our City. I would love to see LRA revamped and focused on growing and expanding programs that are working, ending programs that aren’t, and developing new ways for the city to sell property from its land bank and encourage new investment throughout our neighborhoods.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

My office created a Vacancy Task Force years ago, because I know it to be critical issue. A mayor has to be able to attract investment and people into their city. A mayor has to have a strong understanding of development. I have that understanding. When I was Alderman of the 6th Ward, I worked with residents and transformed numerous bighted and vacant sites that are still active, vibrant, and diverse now. I will implement an equitable city-wide plan to increase our population and redevelopment each area based off of its strengths.

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

Through programs such as Mow to Own, I have reduced the number of city-owned vacant buildings by 50% in the 20th Ward and put them in the hands of real residents - not just developers. My plan will create paths to home ownership to low to moderate income earners and leverage federal and local dollars to bring investment to neighborhoods with high rates of poverty. Part of my plan will be to hold landlords accountable for building code violations that hurt the surrounding community. We also should focus on cutting through the red tape that potential property owners see as an obstacle to purchasing LRA properties.

Candidate

Andrew Jones

Follow a comprehensive community development plan. I’ve asked the current administration for the plan. However the plan doesn’t exist. Nothing can be successful with a “real thorough plan.” Without a plan conducted by all stakeholders using quantitative analysis and best practices will fail...the proof of failure is demonstrated by the outcomes.

Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Although the mayor has no direct control over the Saint Louis Public Schools, that doesn’t mean that she shouldn’t be a better partner with our school district. As mayor, I will be an active partner with the school board and leadership in SLPS to learn how my office can better support the district. I will also work to shield the district from abatements and TIFs that have been given out far too generously, forcing our school district to do more with less.

When I am mayor, I will also work with the new Treasurer to expand the College Kids Children’s Savings account program and book-end it by working with local civil leaders and our community college system to provide two years free to graduating seniors from our City’s public schools with a C or higher grade ​average​. I will oppose the opening of any new schools in the City of Saint Louis until we stabilize and grow our population and will work towards the closure of low-performing charter schools.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

As President of the Board of Aldermen I worked directly with my appointee on the Special Administrative Board in helping the school district regain accreditation.
We need to continue to work to stabilize the school system and create an atmosphere for students to learn.

As Mayor, I’ll coordinate a plan for wrap-around services to get our students to and through college to become productive and self-sustaining adults. I will work to help identify individual student issues: Transportation, Healthcare and Nutrition.

I’ve also created and passed $1M Prop S funding - which is now created more than $12 million and has impacted more than 20,000 kids. I launched a partnership with Sprint and the Sprint 1Million Program to address the “Homework Gap” for some area students. The program was introduced into the St. Louis Public Schools. The program allowed high school students who do not have reliable Internet access at home reach their full potential, by giving them mobile devices and free high-speed Internet access.​ As mayor I would have regular meetings with the superintendent of schools to make sure we were working together towards providing a top tier public school system

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

I come at this issue not just as an Alderman, but as a single mom with a nine-year-old son. We have to start by developing a comprehensive plan for educating all of our city’s children. This needs to be developed with all stakeholders at the table, most especially the entity that educates the majority of our city’s children, SLPS. Recognizing the trauma involved with the proposed closure of 11 of our city’s schools, I sat down with Dr. Adams and the elected board to discuss what we as a City can and should do to best serve our kids.
I recognize Charters have a role. They are here. But what that role looks like needs to be set by stakeholders - all stakeholders. As mayor I will convene that group of stakeholders and support the school board’s call for a moratorium on building new schools until that has happened.

Candidate

Andrew Jones

The Mayor doesn’t have direct control over the school board. However, I will use the bully pulpit. 2. All educational options should be open for students to ensure their intellectual advancement. Children are no sacrificial lambs because of adult failures and leadership incompetence.

Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Sustainability is an issue of racial and economic justice.

In 2013, the City of St. Louis produced a comprehensive Sustainability Plan. The next mayor must measure how well the city is doing at meeting these goals and realign government accordingly. I will make sure that the city makes progress towards achieving the goal to reach 100% clean energy in the form of wind, solar, and energy efficiency measures by 2035.

Since American cities began industrializing, those with Black and brown skin and those with lesser financial means have been burdened with communities that lack clean air, access to clean water, and other necessities of a healthy life. After reinstating the position of Deputy Mayor for Racial Equity, I will direct them to work with the Director of Sustainability to create solutions that prioritize environmental and racial justice, including holding developers and construction crews accountable to lead abatement measures and reducing air pollution from demolition.

The City needs to make accessibility to fresh produce a top priority. We should responsibly use incentives to encourage development of traditional grocery stores in parts of Saint Louis that need them and couple our efforts with the work of local nonprofits and organizations like ​The Sweet Potato Project ​and ​Heru Urban Farming​ to ensure that all residents have access to affordable and healthy food.

I will also bring together the Forestry and Refuse Departments, along with the Citizens Service Bureau, to make sure that complaints of strewn trash, fallen tree limbs, and other environmental hazards are being taken care of quickly and effectively. Every part of our city should receive high quality and responsive city services.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

I plan on building on the work I’ve done in the legislative branch, which included sponsoring the "no idling law" for the City. In 2017, I joined in support of the Paris Climate Agreement and sponsored legislation to commit the City to 100 percent clean energy in the form of wind and solar and energy efficiency measures within the electricity sector by 2035. Since then, the City has taken steps to make equitable, cost-effective changes for our environment and residents. In 2019, the Board of Aldermen passed the most aggressive building codes for the City of St. Louis to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our City.

I’ve helped with the establishment of grocery stores that sell fresh produce north of Delmar. As mayor, I would reduce vacancy through making LRA more effective, which will reduce illegal dumping and mold growth. I will request more federal funding to help eliminate these issues

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

Environmental racism is a real and tangible issue in our City. I see it every day in the ward I represent and know well the racial divide in impacts from reports such as the Racial Equity Indicators report. As an Aldermen, I worked for over a year to bring back an Air Quality Control Monitoring Program to the City of St. Louis - to help address contaminants in the air caused by demolition. I recently sponsored a $2.5M grant to address lead in the housing stock. I will take my experience working on issues of environmental racism and make the issues key priorities in the Mayor’s office.

Candidate

Andrew Jones

The Mayor is responsible to ensure every citizen is afforded equal protection. Enforcement of existing policy and laws is what will manage ineffective leadership.

Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Yes.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

Yes.

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

Yes.

Candidate

Andrew Jones

Yes.

Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Transportation is a lifeline for full involvement in the local economy. Getting to the grocery store, going to the doctor, and accessing the incredible amenities of our city are critical for a healthy region.

High quality public transit routes can not just be found along corridors of development. In the short term, we must expand our bus routes. In the long-term, we need to work with federal and state partners to access additional funding for the expansion of North-South Metrolink, energy-efficient bus options, and other forms of public transportation. In addition, I would love to see our city provide free public wifi, like they do in Kansas City, MO, so that everyone has access to the internet. Wifi should be treated as a public utility, and I will be an advocate to the state legislature to treat it as such.

I would put SLATE job sites on large developments in the City, expand summer youth jobs to be year round, and would make sure that our urban landscaping is a partner in the fight against climate change, working with the Deputy Mayor for Racial Equity and the Director of Sustainability.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

Metrolink expansion would be great for the City of St. louis and surrounding region. Any city on the move needs a top rate public transit system. It will increase development and will also make access to work and healthcare much easier for residents along the line. The cost of the proposed 17 mile metrolink expansion is estimated at $60 million to $80 million per mile. Currently, there is no source pinpointed to pay for it in its entirety. Federal funding will be essential, as was the case with the first metrolink routes in 1993 were mostly built with federal funds.

My vision for public transit is a city where you don’t have to own a car to get to work, access medical care, or shop for essential needs. I envision a system that utilizes the city’s bike lanes, which is the reason I started Bike St. Louis years ago, which now stretches all throughout the city.

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

I have a long standing track record of supporting public transit and know that we need to provide a more comprehensive transit system for St. Louisans. We cannot wait to implement an additional billion dollar light rail system that we don’t have the money for. It's time to look into other methods such as bus rapid transit which would provide a cheaper and quicker option that we would actually fund with the tax dollars we are bringing in through our economic development sales tax (passed in 2017).

Candidate

Andrew Jones

Follow the critically needed community development and economic development plan. The city doesn’t have an exhaustive plan, therefore, the continuing tragic failures.

Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Yes.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

Yes.

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

Yes.

Candidate

Andrew Jones

Yes.

Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Yes.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

Yes.

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

Yes.

Candidate

Andrew Jones

Yes.

Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Our City has not treated our unhoused family well, and it is time that we change that. To start, I will not direct any additional encampments to be dispersed during the pandemic. The CDC has repeatedly issued guidance on this very question, and it is time that the City follow it. Secondly, I like the idea of the tiny home village that the City recently used CARES Act funding for. However, we need on-site, wraparound social services to connect residents of the village to the resources they need to rebuild their lives -- mental health services, medical treatment, financial literacy classes and training, and much more. When I am mayor, everyone will be brought to the table. Citywide leaders, homeless advocacy groups, clergy, and more will discuss how we move towards eradicating homelessness in our City.

BOA President

Lewis Reed

I’ve experienced homelessness before so I know what it feels like. As Mayor, I will work with surrounding municipalities to keep shelters open and to improve their quality of
service. I’ll create ​permanent supportive housing for individuals living with disabilities and other special needs. Other cities have consistently confirmed that long-term
housing assistance not only successfully reduces homelessness — it is also less
expensive than shelter and other institutional care. I will also focus on rehousing individuals who only need temporary support until they can make it on their own without assistance, by giving them what they need to get back on their feet.

Alderwoman

Cara Spencer

In order to address homelessness, my actions will be rooted in public health, public safety, and trust. When helping people experiencing homelessness, the city’s actions must be rooted in trauma informed care, and we should pursue a housing-first model in our programs. I will work with the city’s non-profit network to develop long term solutions, not kick the problem down the road. As an Alderman, I have supported several developments in my ward, weaving them in on the same blocks as market rate development. I have also increased the stock of affordable housing.

Candidate

Andrew Jones

Connect them to “all of the agencies, organizations, and institutions” that have the expertise.