ST. LOUIS – Ten years after voters approved cutting the St. Louis Board of Alderman in half, a new board has been elected. 

In a history-making municipal election in the City of St. Louis, voters have elected a board with 14 members instead of 28. The board approved the new 14-ward map in December 2021. City voters initially passed a measure back in 2012 to cut the number of wards and aldermen in half after the 2020 census.

Earlier in the day, we asked voters what they hope to see with this new condensed board.

“We really need new and fresh leadership in the city,” said Tyrell Manning. “I feel like we’ve had a lot of issues the last few years, with some of our alder-people not always being honest, and like coming up with different issues and financial things, and a lot of shady things.”

City officials projected a voter turnout of 18% to 19%.

We have the unofficial winners of each ward listed below:

  • Ward 1: Anne Schweitzer
  • Ward 2: Thomas Oldenburg
  • Ward 3: Shane Cohn
  • Ward 4: Bret Narayan
  • Ward 5: Joseph Vollmer
  • Ward 6: Daniela Velazquez
  • Ward 7: Alisha Sonnier
  • Ward 8: Cara Spencer
  • Ward 9: Michael Browning
  • Ward 10: Shameem Hubbard
  • Ward 11: Laura Keys
  • Ward 12: Sharon Tyus
  • Ward 13: Pamela Boyd
  • Ward 14: Rasheen Aldridge

Meanwhile, several cities and municipalities have asked voters to approve new taxes on recreational marijuana. Proposition M in St. Louis City and County, and Prop 3 in St. Charles County, asked voters to consider adding a 3% sales tax on recreational marijuana.

That was set up in the constitutional amendment legalizing the adult use of the drug.

In St. Louis County, the county government and 35 municipalities are seeking a 3% tax proposition. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has said it would generate more than $3 million a year for county parks, police, and roads.

“I think marijuana is something that’ll bring a lot of people out, because I think they see it as an opportunity to build revenue,” St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer said.

Meanwhile, St. Charles voters re-elected Borgmeyer to another four-year term. The incumbent mayor defeated Councilman Tom Besselman in Tuesday’s general election.

Both candidates said a big concern among residents has been the city’s water issues.