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Board forwards $255 million RAM settlement appropriation for final consideration to Board of Aldermen
Summary
In a unanimous vote July 1, the Board approved for first-time consideration a request tied to Board Bill 22 to appropriate $255 million from RAM settlement funds to rebuild North St. Louis, fund citywide infrastructure and revitalize downtown; board members said the package reflects years of compromise and aims to get funds into neighborhoods quickly.
The Board of Estimate and Apportionment voted unanimously July 1 to adopt for the first time a proposal tied to Board Bill 22 seeking an appropriation of $255 million from RAM settlement funds to rebuild North St. Louis, bolster citywide infrastructure and support downtown revitalization.
"This ordinance is requesting the appropriation of $255 million from the RAM settlement funds to rebuild North St. Louis, support citywide infrastructure, and revitalize downtown," the presiding official said when introducing the item. Board members described the package as the product of a long process that required compromises across the board.
One board member said pairing the bill with contract approvals demonstrates the city’s readiness to deploy funds and deliver relief more quickly to residents still recovering from tornado damage. Another member emphasized the finance approach, saying the package avoids a loan to the water department and combines the infusion with rate adjustments to enable bonding for infrastructure upgrades intended to prevent future boil orders and sinkholes. The bill was adopted "for the first time" at the special meeting and will proceed to the Board of Aldermen for final consideration and formal appropriation.
The transcript records praise for the collaborative effort but includes no detailed breakdown of how the $255 million would be allocated among specific projects or neighborhoods; those details are expected to be part of subsequent legislative materials. The roll call on the item recorded Mayor Spencer, Controller Behinger and President Green voting in favor.
