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City staff: Missouri constitution limits direct payments to individuals; task force explores alternatives
Summary
City staff told the task force that state constitutional restrictions generally prevent the city from giving money directly to individuals; the group discussed alternatives such as routing programming funds through organizations, MOUs, or RFPs when amounts exceed $5,000.
Christine, a city staff member, told the task force that the Missouri State Constitution and case law generally prohibit the City of St. Louis from providing public funds directly to individuals. She recommended the task force consider alternatives such as paying organizations to administer programming, using memoranda of understanding (MOUs), or structuring payments through sponsored accounts.
"The Missouri State Constitution and case law require that the city of St. Louis is not allowed to give money directly to an individual," Christine said, and described how an RFP is required for city spending of $5,000 or more under current rules. She offered to arrange for a staffer from a city council office to explain funding pathways at the task force's Sept. 8 meeting so the group could design language that aligns with legal constraints.
