About 60 people came to the Richmond Heights City Council meeting Monday at The Heights to hear and express opinions on Better Together’s plan to merge the city and county.
City attorney, Ken Heinz summarized the plan with a few opinions interjected. For instance a reason for the merger given by Better Together would be to unify the court systems, preventing municipalities from abusing the system for their own funding. Heinz said he has been employed by the city of Richmond Heights for 35 years and the city has had some great judges, and he’s never seen it happen here.
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City Manager Amy Hamilton said according to Better Together’s information Richmond Heights would be in the red $1.9 million in the first year. She disputed that number, saying the deficit would actually be $5.5 million.
Speakers from the residents were both strongly for and strongly against the plan.
Life-long Richmond Heights resident Mike Jones listed several ways services in Richmond Heights are better than in St. Louis city. He said it’s a fact that the city doesn’t clean its streets, yet cars are ticketed for being parked on scheduled cleaning days. He also said the city doesn’t trim its trees and its fire department is falling apart.
Kathy Wright said she would support any funds going toward opposing Better Together’s plan. She said Richmond Heights doesn’t need to be absorbed into a “mega city” in order to contribute to the good of the area.
Bob Pieper said the city of St. Louis is $2 billion in debt and the plan is nothing more than a power grab by the holders of the debt — Wall Street firms — to refinance. He said Better Together isn’t an “organization,” but a “campaign.”
Mark Katerberg, holding an infant, supported Better Together, saying some issues aren’t being addressed locally, that Better Together is starting an important conversation.
Richard Patton, who said he’s a 32-year Richmond Heights resident, and had been a research analyst at the University of Missouri, said reorganization is required for St. Louis to keep up with other cities. He Indianapolis, Nashville and Louisville had city county mergers; that they weren’t once in league with St. Louis and now they are. He said no rational person would design St. Louis’ current system.
Speakers following Patton echoed his thoughts. One said said a zip code shouldn’t determine a person’s prospects in life. Another said we are lucky to live in Richmond Heights and Maplewood, and that it’s important to think about how to help others.
Jake Salter said St. Louis crime stats keep people from coming here, and a merger would take St. Louis off the list of high-crime cities. (That’s also a statement of Better Together.) He said the status quo isn’t good enough. He pointed out that there isn’t a single homeless shelter in the county, listing ways the county could improve.
Richmond Heights Mayor Jim Thomson wrapped it up by adding that Better Together is an effort by a small group under the direction of one man to refinance the St. Louis city debt.
Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
That’s what we are doing when we shoot down any talk of consolidation or fixing our current poor situation.
You could just as easily apply that quote to Better Together itself, since I think this is the 4th merger attempt. All have failed. Maybe merger isn’t the only solution?
She spells her name Kathy Wright. Thanks for being there!
The people that will lose their power are against it, shocking.
I’ve been in St Louis now for ~12 years, but chances are pretty likely I won’t be staying much longer. In that time I’ve seen a number of large companies consolidate out, or move out. I’m in the technology industry. There’s little interest in outside companies moving here, and I have little doubt that’s due to the MULTIPLE stigmas surrounding St. Louis. Between the generally perceived racism that goes back decades, only amplified after the Michael Brown killing and FBI confirmation; the inferiority complex vis-a-vis Chicago; or the crime statistics (which ABSOLUTELY influence people’s views on the entire Metropolitan Area – not just St Louis City).
None of it looks great.
Bundle in the municipal mess and head-in-the-ground shortsightedness of grudgeholding an issue that not a single one of us was alive for (ie the Great Split), and you’ve got yourself a region that looks like they aren’t prepared for tomorrow – much less the next 30 years.
I’ve invested a good chunk of my life in this city, and this state. I’ve got 2 small children, and I want to raise my kids in a place with values. I’m increasingly wondering what values this place stands for, and whether growing up in St Louis will become a burden on their future prospects.
There must be a better plan out there. This ain’t it. I’m voting against. Causing municipalities to have deficits because of the St. Louis city’s mismanagement is unacceptable.
Anything that Ken heinze , Amy Hamilton and Mayor Thompson agree on. RUN and get in writing.