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ST. LOUIS — A majority of the city’s African American aldermen have criticized Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ veto of a $33 million business development plan for four major streets in heavily Black north St. Louis.

Ten members of the Board of Aldermen’s 12-person Black caucus issued a statement expressing disappointment with the mayor’s Monday veto, which was spurred by warnings by city legal and accounting advisers that the allocation would violate federal guidelines.

The bill’s sponsor, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, disputes that and cites an opinion from a former lawyer for the city who is now in private practice.

The 10 aldermen said in their statement that “we looked forward to the rebuilding and empowering of residents and businesses in these areas, but we need funds to do it.�

“Let’s be frank, the federal dollars earmarked for our City were based on our low economic� status, the group said.

The statement also called on Jones, the city’s first Black female mayor, to reconsider her veto but didn’t suggest how that could be done legally.

Jones’ spokesman, Nick Dunne, said in response that the mayor agrees that investment on the north side is critical “which is why any dollars spent must comply with U.S. Treasury rules so funds aren’t clawed back by Washington, D.C.�

Dunne added that with hundreds of millions more in federal dollars coming to the city, the city can invest meaningfully in infrastructure, affordable housing, small business support and more across the entire north side, “not just four streets.�

One alderman signing the joint statement of criticism, Jeffrey Boyd of the 22nd Ward, in an interview used stronger language, calling Jones “a bully� who issued the veto to punish aldermen who disagreed with her over proposed homeless encampments.

“If she cared about Black people, she would figure out how to make this happen and not how to kill it,� said Boyd, who worked with Reed to devise the business corridor plan.

Boyd is a longtime critic of Jones, whose office has denied the accusation that the veto was punitive. The two have squared off in court, election races and at meetings of a city parking commission.

Other aldermen signing the statement, when it was released Tuesday night, were the Black caucus chairwoman, the 27th Ward’s Pam Boyd, who isn’t related to Jeffrey Boyd; Lisa Middlebrook, 2nd Ward; Dwinderlin Evans, 4th Ward; James Page, 5th Ward; Jesse Todd, 18th Ward; Marlene Davis, 19th Ward; John Collins Muhammad, 21st Ward; and Shameem Clark-Hubbard, 26th Ward.

On Wednesday morning, Brandon Bosley, 3rd Ward, added his name to the statement.

Bosley in an interview said while he disagrees with the mayor's veto, he also believed it would have been better for the bill to include all wards on the north side in the allocation. He said some areas weren't included.

Not joining in the statement criticizing the veto were Sharon Tyus, 1st Ward, and Tina Pihl, 17th Ward.

Pihl was among political and community leaders who appeared with Jones at her news conference Monday to announce her signing of the bill and the line-item veto.

Pihl said at the event that she voted “present� on the bill when it was passed last week because of the concerns about the business development program not passing legal muster. She noted that Comptroller Darlene Green shares Jones’ worries.

Approving that part of the measure “would not have been accountable,� Pihl said, adding that there are many great programs in the bill that Jones did approve. Those allocations totaled $135 million.

Another Black alderman who supports Jones’ veto, Tyus, said she shares her concerns that the federal government could require the city to pay back the money if spent incorrectly.

Meanwhile, Reed has yet to comment on a report that a U.S. Treasury official told his office in a phone call that the $33 million questioned by Jones was acceptable under federal rules. Such a call was referred to in a Post-Dispatch editorial last week.

Jones’ communications director, Nick Desideri, in a tweet on Monday questioned whether the call occurred, contending that “there’s no actual confirmation of it anywhere.�

Originally posted at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday; updated Wednesday morning with the addition of Brandon Bosley.