President Green's Annual Legislative Report (February 10, 2025)

Good evening, and thank you for joining me tonight.

Last November, I addressed the City for the first time since its historic transition from twenty-eight wards to fourteen. Years in the making, that single change led to the most diverse group of lawmakers in our city’s history. Over the last two sessions, new perspectives and seasoned leadership have come together and replaced decades of status-quo decision-making with forward-thinking solutions.

Rethinking how we address our greatest challenges has led to more effective policies that meet the needs of residents across our city.

Programs like the Impacted Tenants Fund and Right to Counsel keep more people in their homes and off the streets.

Updating our zoning code to allow shelters, transitional housing, and group homes to create more long-term housing for our unhoused neighbors.

Automated traffic enforcement will make our streets safer for all road users.

Cutting red tape will help small businesses like barber shops and home-based food producers thrive in our city.

And tomorrow, the Board of Aldermen is set to approve raises for first responders, refuse workers, and other civil servants so we can attract and retain the workforce we need to deliver vital city services.

Residents know that change and innovation are the forerunners of progress. Voters knew that when they went to the polls two years ago and approved our first-ever Charter Commission. 
Many of our city’s longest-standing challenges are tied to a document that was written when the Model-T revolutionized car manufacturing and streets were still designed for horses and carriages.

That’s why the charter revision process established a unified Department of Transportation—addressing the need for a contemporary and coordinated approach to street planning. So whether you walk, bike, drive, or use public transit, residents can look forward to safer and more user-friendly streets that reflect the ways we move through our city.

The yearlong process also answered residents’ calls for more affordable housing and neighborhood stabilization. Redeveloping the roughly twenty-five thousand vacant properties in our city starts with holding negligent property owners accountable. By raising fines on unoccupied, vacant properties, we now have more ways to compel property owners to either invest in their communities or make room for those who will.

These reforms represent two of the more than thirty recommendations made by the Charter Commission. The Board of Aldermen’s newly formed Special Committee on Charter Revisions will build on the commission's work by evaluating those proposals and developing a strategy to modernize city government in ways that better serve today's residents.

Beyond bringing our foundational document into the modern age, adopting new technology has been key to meeting the needs of city residents. Thanks to the Board’s unified support and Mayor Jones’ leadership, we have accomplished what previous administrations could not: funding the construction of a new public safety dispatch center. Bringing emergency dispatch services under one roof means calls for help will be handled with the responsiveness and care residents deserve.

New technology is also connecting more residents to the legislative process. This session, the Board of Aldermen will launch a new meeting management system to improve public access to video archives, meeting materials, and minutes. The Board’s partnership with CivicPlus will also give residents the ability to opt into updates on legislation that matters to them. That means residents will be the first to know when public hearings are scheduled or substantive changes to a bill have been adopted.

This year we’ve seen that residents want to participate in decision-making that impacts their lives. More than sixteen thousand participants joined the Board's public engagement platform to share input on how to invest the City’s portion of Rams Settlement funds. Through online participation and public hearings, residents made it clear that they wanted to invest this windfall in infrastructure, housing, neighborhood development, and people—especially city workers and the next generation. Residents know that investing in these areas is key to reversing population decline, growing our tax base, and improving the quality of life for everyone who calls St. Louis home. 

While diverging views at the Board postponed the allocation of these funds, many of us agreed that no proposal should move forward without prioritizing the needs of North St. Louis and other neighborhoods who have suffered from decades of disinvestment. 

Corporate lobbyists have characterized this as a loss—and for them, I’m certain it feels that way. In the past, city government allowed corporate interests to dictate policy decisions. Today, the Board of Aldermen is placing residents and their needs first. 

This process offered a meaningful way for residents, advocates, and elected officials to work together and discuss solutions that would benefit our entire city. Despite the outcome, this process should serve as the standard of policy-making in our City. 

A healthy democratic process encourages open communication and disagreement, and that means major legislation often takes multiple sessions to pass. 

I appreciate Alderwoman Sonnier and Alderwoman Boyd for their leadership in guiding thoughtful discussions on this transformational opportunity. I am confident that conversations around the Rams settlement will continue in the days and weeks ahead. If the Board reaches a consensus that aligns with residents' priorities and invests in our city long-term, I will convene special meetings to ensure that legislation is signed into law. And if we don’t reach a compromise that honors the spirit of public input during the break, I’ll look forward to continuing these conversations in the upcoming legislative session.

I also recognize that the Trump administration’s freeze on federal grants had an effect on this conversation. Recent moves by the Department of Government Efficiency underscore the broader impact national politics has on local funding. And year after year, the Missouri General Assembly threatens to eliminate the earnings tax which accounts for one-third of our annual budget. Cities like ours now face the emergent challenge of addressing budget shortfalls. 

Amid those circumstances, I understand why some of my colleagues feel that saving the Rams settlement is the fiscally responsible choice. 

During this period of uncertainty, one thing is clear: President Trump and his administration are working swiftly to undermine the goals of local, state, and federal government.

Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump disavowed Project 2025. And yet, in only a few weeks, he has ordered economically disastrous tariffs, deployed overwhelming resources to arrest migrants, and dismantled government institutions.

But Donald Trump can’t stop St. Louis from investing in itself, or supporting the people who live here. Mayor Jones, Comptroller Green, and I, along with the rest of the Board of Aldermen, are committed to preserving democracy in our city and making St. Louis a place where everyone can succeed.

For anyone finding it difficult to see progress in this moment, remember that no matter what President Trump says, abortion is legal, crime is down, and facts do matter.

After more than a decade of public service, and in spite of the current political landscape, I can say with confidence that our city is on the right track. Today’s leadership is championing bold policies that address the urgent need for affordable housing, quality infrastructure, and a stronger workforce.

To address our shortage of affordable housing and the impact short term rentals have had in our communities, Alderman Bret Narayan and I put Prop S on the ballot. Voters overwhelmingly approved booking fees on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Half of Prop S revenue is being directed to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund—which supports the construction of affordable housing and funds non-profit organizations whose services reduce homelessness. And because we know the best way to prevent homelessness is to keep people in their homes, the remaining revenue will fund relocation assistance programs and legal services for tenants facing eviction.

Alderwoman Schweitzer’s commitment to safer streets led to the City’s first Utility Coordination Policy and updates to our Complete Streets Policy. With these policies in place, residents can look forward to fewer street plates, fewer potholes, improved infrastructure, and safer streets for all road users.

Under the leadership of Alderman Narayan, we will pass legislation that guarantees fair pay for the hardworking people who are rebuilding our neighborhoods. We know that fair pay and worker protections are foundational to a strong local economy and I look forward to signing Board Bill One-Fifty-Five at tomorrow’s meeting.

What I’ve described tonight is only a fraction of what the Board has achieved on behalf of residents. As we approach the end of the legislative session, my office will release a comprehensive report highlighting the significant legislative accomplishments that are moving our city forward. 

We have so many reasons to be optimistic about our city’s future. 

Under Mayor Jones’ leadership, the three hundred million dollars we’ve invested in street infrastructure will completely change how we move through our city. 

This session, the Board of Aldermen approved plans for a new consolidated terminal at Lambert Airport and advanced proposals to create the North-South MetroLink line. 

City leaders committed every dollar of ARPA funding ahead of the federal deadline—paving the way for more investments in infrastructure and our communities over the next two years.

A new era of Downtown redevelopment is bringing fixtures like the AT&T Building, Jefferson Arms, and Railway Exchange back to life. 

Thanks to Chief Tracy, the Office of Violence Prevention, and Circuit Attorney Gore, crime is at its lowest in a decade.
And city officials will fight to retain local control of our police department so crime rates continue to trend downward.

So as we begin a new legislative session and new chapter for the City of St. Louis, I urge you to remember that steadfast leadership—not empty rhetoric—will change how we live in our city. As residents, we all know and see the problems, and today’s leadership is bringing together a broad coalition of stakeholders to enact meaningful solutions.

Once again, I want to thank my colleagues at the board—our committee chairs in particular—for their commitment to the residents of our city. Working alongside you this year has been an honor.

To my fellow residents: know that the Board of Aldermen, Mayor Jones, Comptroller Green, and I remain committed to working together—and with you—to make St. Louis a place where success is within reach for everyone who calls it home.

Thank you and have a great night.