Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County outreach liaison warns Saint Ann residents Proposition B would shift firing power from county executive to council
Summary
Danielle Spradley, Saint Louis County community outreach liaison, told the Saint Ann Board that Proposition B on the April 8 ballot would amend the county charter to allow the county council to remove department heads, and she warned of operational and continuity risks; county staff supplied informational packets and open‑house dates.
Danielle Spradley, community outreach liaison for Saint Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page, addressed the Saint Ann Board of Aldermen on March 3 to brief residents and elected officials about upcoming county initiatives and a county charter amendment on the April 8 ballot known locally as Proposition B.
Spradley told the board that Prop B would change the county charter so the county council could remove department heads — including the county police chief — and warned that the change could create conflicting directives and threaten continuity during a crisis. "If passed, Prop B would grant the county council unchecked power to fire department heads without cause including the county police chief," Spradley said. She added that the police officers have voted against Prop B and that other organizations including the NAACP and the AFL‑CIO oppose it.
Spradley also said the Saint Louis County Circuit Court had already ruled on related ballot language, which she summarized by quoting the court as calling the language "misleading, insufficient, inaccurate, argumentative, and prejudicial." She urged leaders and residents to consider the amendment’s practical implications for county operations.
Context and clarifications: Spradley explained the county’s current structure: the county executive appoints department directors, and the county council confirms appointments; under the existing charter, firing authority rests with the county executive. She described Prop B as a charter amendment that would shift removal authority to the council and could produce scenarios in which department heads face conflicting orders from multiple supervisors. During questions from board members and residents, Spradley repeated that the county executive currently holds removal authority and that Prop B would change that arrangement.
Other county items noted in Spradley’s remarks included the county’s 2050 plan (public engagement open houses beginning April 26) and a state appropriation to support a regional police training center serving multiple counties. She distributed informational packets to the board and asked residents to use county resources for questions about the ballot measure and county programs.
Spradley answered board questions about how removal authority would work under Prop B and emphasized that the change would be a charter amendment requiring voter approval. She also asked the board to consider the potential for conflicting directives to freeze departments during emergencies.
The board did not take a formal position during the meeting; Spradley provided contact information and packets for residents seeking additional information on county projects and the ballot measure.
