The City of St. Louis is suing to strike down a Missouri law placing a board in charge of overseeing the city's police department.
Mayor Cara Spencer announced on Thursday that she'd directed city lawyers to sue over the measure, which Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law last year. It took direct control of the police department away from the mayor's office and shifted it to a board that includes Spencer and a majority of governor appointees.
Citing a recent push from the board to significantly boost spending on the police department, the lawsuit states that the state takeover violates constitutional prohibitions on unfunded mandates. It also contends that a constitutional amendment passed in 2024 regarding law enforcement funding does not authorize the board to heap unfunded mandates on the city.
"This is a measure we do not take lightly. Regrettably, we are at an impasse in terms of what the law requires the city to provide, so we must ask the courts to intervene and provide that necessary clarity," Spencer said in a statement. "While difficult, this is an essential step to prevent a financial crisis and bring legal certainty back to our city's governance."
Board of Aldermen President Megan Green filed a lawsuit over the state takeover law roughly a year ago. A federal case was dismissed, while a state case is slated to be heard in May.
Green did not immediately comment about Spencer's decision to sue.
The city's proposed budget for the police department in the fiscal year that begins in July is expected to be about $220 million, which represents an increase of about 4% compared to the current budget. It includes 7% raises negotiated with the St. Louis Police Officers Association but is below the department's certified expenses of $250 million.
It is also below a $330 million figure that police commissioners have argued represents the amount the city is legally required to provide to the police department. That amount includes Rams settlement and city reserve funds in the general revenue calculation, a position Spencer said the city found legally indefensible.
Joe Steiger, executive director of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, said he was glad the raises were part of the budget. He called it "unfortunate" the two sides had not been able to reach an agreement on required funding levels.
Spencer repeated several times on Thursday that she believes police are a critical part of public safety and that the lawsuit was about protecting the financial health of the city overall.
"I'm sure that she cares about the police department in general, but it certainly hasn't seemed that way," Steiger said. "I don't know if our officers feel that support from her."
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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