Comptroller Darlene Green issued a statement on July 24, 2024, regarding proposed charter changes presented in nine Board Bills: BB 30, BB 60, BB 61, BB 71, BB 72, BB 73, BB 75, BB 76, and BB 77. The changes have been submitted by both the charter commission and the board of aldermen.
Green expressed her opposition to the proposed changes. “The proposed charter changes do not improve the city’s financial position; they do not improve the city’s credit; they do not improve city services; they do not improve public safety; and they create more bureaucracy and chaos in city government,” she stated.
One of the key points of contention is the creation of a public advocacy office. Green argued that this office would be redundant and costly. “The proposed public advocacy office would cost taxpayers $5.4 million dollars annually,” she said. According to Green, this office would duplicate other departments’ duties and could lead to unnecessary lawsuits between city departments.
Citing a recent article from The Wall Street Journal dated July 10th, Green noted that New York City’s similar office has turned harmful. She emphasized that St. Louis already has mechanisms for public advocacy through elected officials like the comptroller and aldermen.
Green also criticized a proposed change allowing the Board of Aldermen to increase any item in the city’s annual budget. She warned that this could weaken the city’s credit rating. “The irresponsible proposed charter change…would remove a very sound budget process that rating agencies currently recognize as an important component of the city’s strong fiscal management,” she said.
Highlighting past successes in maintaining good credit ratings for St. Louis, Green pointed out upgrades from Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, and Moody’s in 2023 due to strong fiscal management policies.
Additionally, Green addressed another proposal to create a transportation department by renaming the streets department. She claimed this change would add $2 million annually to the operating budget without providing improvements but rather increasing bureaucracy.
Green concluded her statement by urging voters to reject these charter amendments to protect St. Louis’ good credit and government structures.
