City of St. Louis MO: 2025 Board of Aldermen Year in Review
As we enter the new year, it’s important to reflect on the challenges and triumphs that shaped the City of St. Louis MO in 2025. It was a year defined by resilience. For instance, we navigated a new mayoral administration, handled political shifts at the state level, and faced the aftermath of a devastating natural disaster. Through it all, the St. Louis aldermen remained committed to listening to residents and working toward tangible solutions. Consequently, this review will highlight some of the Board of Aldermen’s key accomplishments and outline our priorities for 2026.
I am proud of the leadership my colleagues have shown, but our work is far from over. As we move forward, our focus remains on rebuilding North St. Louis. We also aim to make life more affordable for all residents and secure funding for the critical city services you rely on.
Key Legislative Wins from the Board of Aldermen St. Louis
While tornado recovery rightfully demanded much of our attention, the board also continued to advance crucial legislation. Specifically, we worked to improve the quality of life across the city. We also achieved something historically challenging: passing the city budget on time for the third consecutive year. This provides stability and allows city departments to plan, staff, and deliver services without interruption.
Promoting Affordability and Housing Density
A core priority for a thriving city is ensuring access to affordable housing and encouraging population growth. For this reason, the board of aldermen St. Louis passed several bills this year to create more flexible and inclusive housing options.
- Board Bill 18: Sponsored by Alderwoman Velazquez and myself, this bill amended the building code to ease occupancy limits. The old code made it difficult for non-traditional or multigenerational families to find suitable housing. Now, by raising the age cut-off for children and allowing for more flexible use of bedrooms, we are better accommodating the diverse needs of our communities.
- Board Bill 42: I co-sponsored this legislation with Alderman Cohn, which reduced minimum lot size requirements by half. Many vacant lots in the city were previously too small to build on under our outdated zoning code. Because of this simple change, hundreds of lots are now development-ready for new single- and two-family homes.
- Board Bill 60: This bill, sponsored with Alderwoman Clark Hubbard, now permits accessory dwelling units (ADUs), such as carriage houses or converted garages. This policy encourages density, provides more housing choices, and ultimately helps lower housing costs over the long term.
These efforts are part of a larger initiative to modernize the city’s entire zoning code through the Zoning Upgrade (ZOUP). The goal is to shift away from suburban-style planning and move toward more walkable, dense, and vibrant neighborhoods.
Passing Common Sense Regulations
The St. Louis aldermen also focused on streamlining city government. We aimed to make it more efficient and accessible for everyone.
- Board Bill 33: Sponsored by Alderman Devoti, this bill clarified the powers and responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Office. In particular, it addressed the transport of detainees for medical care, an issue that had become a point of contention in budget talks.
- Board Bills 44 & 45: These bills established a formal registration process for neighborhood organizations. This standardization helps the city communicate more effectively with community groups and ensures timely information sharing.
- Board Bill 88: We drastically reduced the filing fees for municipal positions to make running for office more accessible. The fee for mayoral candidates dropped from $1,600 to $250, while the fee for alders dropped from $700 to $100. A true democracy, after all, should not have high financial barriers to entry.
Tornado Recovery and Support for Our Community
An EF3 tornado upended our city and put much of our legislative agenda on hold. In response, the board of aldermen St. Louis moved quickly to pass a series of bills. These provided immediate and long-term relief to those affected.
Within weeks, we passed bills offering property tax relief for homeowners with uninhabitable properties (Board Bill 24). We also expanded the Impacted Tenants Fund to cover relocation costs (Board Bill 23). Furthermore, we directed over $43 million from Rams settlement interest and budget surplus funds toward recovery efforts. This funding supported home repair, winter shelter expansion, and redevelopment projects in impacted neighborhoods (Board Bills 31, 93, 94, & 95).
The work of recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. We recognize that funds must be deployed more quickly. Therefore, we are working to modernize our procurement system to get dollars into the community faster. Understanding how to frame these issues is key; exploring how community narratives shape recovery efforts can provide valuable insight.
Looking Ahead: Priorities for 2026
As we move into the new year, the St. Louis aldermen are focused on several major initiatives. These will undoubtedly shape the city’s future.
Major Ballot Measures and Revenue
Two critical revenue measures will soon be before voters. First, Board Bill 100 asks voters to renew the city’s 1% earnings tax, which accounts for over a third of our entire budget. The renewal of this tax is essential for funding nearly all city services.
Additionally, Board Bill 106 will ask residents to approve a change in the use of a half-cent sales tax. This tax was originally designated for a MetroLink expansion. The bill proposes allowing its use for a bus rapid transit system instead. It is vital that voters have the final say on such a significant change.
Bolstering Past Legislation and Worker Protections
My office plans to introduce legislation to codify the Economic Justice Scorecard. This will ensure we award development incentives equitably. We will also work to enforce the 3% short-term rental tax to fund affordable housing. Finally, we will ensure the Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program is brought back into compliance to support our local contractors.
Our commitment to the City of St. Louis MO is unwavering. We will continue our focus on equitable development, affordable housing, and rebuilding the communities that need it most.
Visit the official City of St. Louis website for information about Board of Aldermen meetings and your local representative.
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