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Committee hears bill to split St. Charles County library mayoral appointments among largest cities
Summary
A sponsor told the House Local Government Committee that House Bill 2161 would redistribute four mayoral appointments to the city–county library board among the four largest cities in St. Charles County, formalizing a long‑standing informal practice; the committee held a public hearing and asked clarifying questions but took no action.
Rep. Mike Coslow (District 108) told the Missouri House Committee on Local Government that House Bill 2161 would adjust how four mayoral appointments to the St. Charles City–County Library Board of Trustees are allocated. Under current practice the mayor of the City of St. Charles appoints four members and the county governing body appoints five; HB2161 would have the mayors of the four most populous cities in the county each appoint one trustee while the county would continue to appoint five, maintaining a nine‑member board.
Coslow said the proposal ‘‘takes current informal practice — where the St. Charles mayor has been making appointments after consulting other mayors — and puts it into statute’’ to reflect population changes and the county’s multiple growing cities. He said he has discussed the change with elected officials in the county and that they are ‘‘content’’ with it.
Committee members asked whether the bill changes the total number of trustees (it does not) and what population data determines which cities qualify; the sponsor said the most recent U.S. Census figures would determine the four most‑populous cities. Members also asked whether the change would affect municipal libraries elsewhere; the sponsor said it applies only to city–county library districts and that, as written, the carve‑out would apply in a county with more than 400,000 residents (currently applicable only to St. Charles County).
No members of the public spoke in opposition, and Rep. Tom Dempsey, representing St. Charles County, testified in support. The committee completed the public hearing on House Bills 2161, 1830 and 1728 and moved on to other items; there was no committee vote recorded in the transcript.
The committee may choose to request amendments or additional information about how the census‑based selection would be implemented; for now the hearing record is open and no formal action was taken.
