Aldermen take aim at police lobbying contract
ST. LOUIS — Aldermen did more than just cut their own pay in the city budget process.
The Board’s Ways and Means Committee this week also voted to take out $28,000 from the Police Department’s budget.
Was that money going to put cops on the street?
No — according to budget documents, the $28,000 was for a lobbying contract.
In addition to the austere fiscal climate, the fear among aldermen may have been that the state-appointed Police Board was lobbying against local control — something that has been for years a top priority at City Hall.
According to the state Ethics Commission, the Police Board earlier this year hired Jonathan F. Dalton and Shanon M. Hawk– both with the St. Louis law firm Lewis, Rice & Fingersh — to lobby for them in Jefferson City.
Hawk, according to his Ethics Commission filing, also lobbies local government officials. Dalton happens to be mayor of the affluent county burb Town and Country.
this is the most out date law in the country, it should be over turned.
Amen. They are a State controlled Board and have been demanding money from City taxpayers to lobby the State. What a joke. Local control next year….watch.
If the state has control, let the state pay for it.
Please clear this up for me.
Slay promoted the state take over of the Saint Louis school board. Disenfranchising the citizens of St. Louis. Then Slay promotes local control of the Saint Louis Police Board.
Slay seems to feel we are not competent to elect a school board, but we can elect a police board?
The police boad is also put in place by the State. Its been that way for many years. They control the Police. Too bad most people don’t understant that.
A national or state police force would solve all this b.s., plus concentrate officers where they’re needed.
Spot on Remby. No one needs the Police in the control of the corrupt idiots who run this city.