Alisha Sonnier, flanked by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones on the left and Board of Aldermen President Megan Green on the right, speaks about her bill to breakdown how the Rams' settlement will be spent.
ST. LOUIS — The debate over how the city should spend more than $250 million in settlement money from the NFL entered a new phase Friday, as a bill backed by two of the city’s top three officials was introduced at the Board of Aldermen.
Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, who is carrying the bill, said an initial hearing is set for Monday.
The plan would put about $277 million into a series of endowment funds, each with a specific purpose. There would be one with $70 million dedicated to boosting affordable housing in the city, and one with $60 million for fixing streets and sidewalks.
Another $40 million would go into a pot for the city’s water system, which is struggling with a maintenance backlog after going more than a decade without a rate increase. About $37 million would be made available to subsidize childcare for city residents, with first priority given to parents who are city workers.
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The last $70 million would be split between three other priorities: paying for city workers to go back to school or get additional training, helping city high school graduates pay for college or trade school, and building up struggling neighborhoods, perhaps with grants to businesses or neighborhood organizations.
Sonnier, Aldermanic President Megan Green and Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said when they announced the plan Wednesday that it would transform the city by helping it attract and retain more residents, city workers and businesses.
But there’s no guarantee it garners the eight votes needed to pass.
A competing proposal from business leaders who pushed hard for more immediate spending focused more tightly on infrastructure and development, with $100 million earmarked for downtown and $130 million for struggling neighborhoods north and south. Four aldermen have publicly backed that plan: Pam Boyd, of Walnut Park, Tom Oldenburg, of St. Louis Hills, Cara Spencer, of Marine Villa, and Laura Keys, of the O’Fallon neighborhood.
Other aldermen said they’re still making up their minds on how to vote.
“I wish I could vote for both,” said Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, of Boulevard Heights.
Alderman Bret Narayan, of Dogtown, said he wanted to see more done for city workers. Serious staffing shortages have hobbled functions like trash pickup in recent years. That has to be the focus, he said.
“My community wants improvements in city services, not pet programs,” he said.
