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Committee considers lowering candidate filing fees; do-pass motion fails
Summary
The Legislation and Rules Committee reviewed Board Bill 5, which would set flat filing fees of $100 for aldermanic candidates and $250 for citywide offices; after testimony and debate the committee did not give the bill a do-pass recommendation.
St. Louis City — The Board of Aldermen’s Legislation and Rules Committee on Tuesday considered Board Bill 5, which would lower candidate filing fees to a flat $100 for aldermanic candidates and $250 for citywide offices, but a motion for a do-pass recommendation failed.
The bill, introduced by Alderman Velda Browning, would replace the current rule that ties filing fees to 1% of the office salary — a formula that currently makes the filing fee for alderpersons more than $700. "This is about democracy. It's about equal access to ballot," Browning said while presenting the measure and asking the committee for a do-pass recommendation.
The bill also clarifies that filing fees go to the city’s general fund (a practice in place since 2021) and preserves the signature requirement for candidates. Casey Milberg, policy director in the mayor's office, told the committee: "The…
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