Lewis Reed

Legislation redrawing the Board of Aldermen map passed without a single "no" vote. That's in stark contrast to deadlocks elsewhere, including St. Louis County.

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen’s legislation committee released an updated draft of a redistricting map Thursday. It reduces the number of wards from 28 to 14, as approved by voters 10 years ago.

A 2012 charter amendment cut the number of wards from 28 to 14. Public hearings are set for Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Detractors of the measure contend, among other things, that the Board of Aldermen is best equipped to handle redistricting.

Last week, a federal lobbyist for the city said leaders are “inviting an audit” from the U.S. Treasury by including a provision that goes against its spending guidelines. He warns the city may be ordered to pay back some of the money.

The city's top fiscal body failed Friday to approve a proposed $168 million spending plan ahead of a summer recess at the Board of Aldermen.

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen chose not to act on the fiscal 2022 budget after discovering a $5.7 million hole. It marks the second year in a row that aldermen did not pass a spending plan and allowed one approved by a separate board to take effect.

The $4 million in savings would be directed toward victims services, affordable housing, homeless services and a legal department to prosecute civil rights violations.

So how did Tishaura Jones and Cara Spencer move onto the April runoff election? For Jones, it was a strong performance in north St. Louis and parts of south St. Louis. And approval voting may have been key in getting Spencer to the second round.

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones and Alderwoman Cara Spencer, D-20th Ward, were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s mayoral primary race.