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St. Louis County revenue director urges Creve Coeur residents to oppose Proposition B
Summary
Tony Smee, St. Louis County director of revenue, told the Creve Coeur City Council that Proposition B’s ballot language is misleading and warned it would weaken checks and balances by allowing the county council to remove department directors without cause; he encouraged a 'no' vote and cited ongoing litigation and a county circuit court opinion.
Tony Smee, director of the St. Louis County Department of Revenue, told the Creve Coeur City Council that he will vote against Proposition B and urged residents to do the same.
Smee said the Department of Revenue bills, collects and distributes “just under $3,000,000,000” to 245 taxing authorities in St. Louis County and listed allocations that include “roughly $2,000,000 to the city of Creve Coeur, $20,000,000 to the Creve Coeur Fire District and roughly $250,000,000 to the Parkway School District.” He warned that Proposition B, which appears on the April 8 ballot, “would grant the county council unchecked power to fire department heads without cause at any time or any reason.”
Smee told the council the ballot language misleads the public and “claims to improve checks and balances when it actually degrades them.” He also said the St. Louis County Circuit Court has described the ballot language as, and he quoted, “misleading, insufficient, inaccurate, argumentative, prejudicial, and unfair,” and noted related litigation is ongoing in federal court. “If this passes, it will open the door of future ballot initiatives by any group that are worded only to deceive to achieve their desired outcome,” he said.
Why it matters: Smee framed the measure as a governance change that could affect the county’s ability to recruit and retain department directors by subjecting them to removal without cause. He warned of possible increased employment litigation and said the ballot language understates fiscal impacts.
Council response and context: The presentation was given as part of the council’s public comment period and drew no formal motion or council vote. The council took no formal action on the presentation; no city official in the meeting disputed Smee’s assertions during his remarks.
Next steps: Early voting for the county ballot begins the day after Smee’s appearance, and the countywide Proposition B will be decided on the April 8 ballot.
