ST. LOUIS • Changing control of the St. Louis Police Department from the state to the city would not save as much money as the move's backers claim, a suit filed Thursday by St. Louis Police Officers Association officials alleges.

Moreover, proposed ballot initiatives to amend the state constitution and return police control to St. Louis and Kansas City elected leaders contain deceptive ballot language, says the suit, and should be rewritten or even thrown out.

The five petition initiatives, filed last month by an attorney representing the interests of political activist Rex Sinquefield, would be on the statewide ballot on Nov. 6, 2012, if supporters can gather enough voter signatures.

Today's lawsuit was expected, initiative supporters said, as a tactic to delay the collection of the signatures.

"It's partly why we filed language in 2011 for an election in 2012," said Nancy Rice, spokeswoman for the Sinquefield-supported political organization A Safer Missouri, which is spearheading the effort. "We don't view it as a hurdle, because we have allowed the time for it."

But the suit, filed in Cole County, says the proposed initiatives have deceptive 'summary statements," which mislead voters concerning the content and impact of the initiatives.

The suit also alleges that the cost summaries, prepared by state Auditor Thomas Schweich, were based 'solely" on information submitted by the office of Mayor Francis Slay. The statements estimate the change to local control would save $7.8 million per year.

"Mayor Slay," the suit continues, "is an outspoken proponent of the policy embodied in the Initiative Petitions. Information submitted by the Mayor's office is potentially tainted by bias and should not have been the sole basis for the Fiscal Notes' conclusions."

The cost summaries miss certain added expenses, such as increased legal fees, and are "both inaccurate and speculative," the suit says. For instance, a year ago, city officials estimated the savings at $4.4 million, the suit says, $3.4 million less than the figure sent to Schweich.

The Police Department has long been controlled by a board of four state-appointed commissioners plus the mayor. The city sets the department's total budget figure, but has little direct control over how that money is spent.

Police officers association officials vowed Thursday to fight the initiatives to the "highest court."