Our next Municipal League Membership Meeting will be held Thursday, April 24th in Celebration Hall at the John F Kennedy Community Center in Florissant (315 Howdershell Rd). Refreshments begin at 6:30 PM with the meeting to follow at 7 PM. All elected officials, city staff, and affiliate members are encouraged to attend!
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Tuesday, April 8th is Municipal Election Day!
Use these resources to look up your sample ballot & find polling places:
After the election, please notify the Municipal League at [email protected] if your municipality passed any ballot initiatives, plus the names and contact information of any new elected officials. |
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Tax Exempt Municipal Bonds
Under Threat
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Congress has previously tried to remove municipal bonds' tax-exempt status to help pay for different tax measures or policies. With Congress expected to focus on sunsetting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act next year, the National League of Cities anticipates that tax-exempt municipal bonds may be at risk. Eliminating the federal tax-exempt status of municipal bonds would significantly impact cities across Missouri, affecting their ability to finance public projects.
Without the tax exemption, investors would demand higher interest rates on municipal bonds to achieve comparable after-tax returns. This increase in interest rates would raise borrowing costs for municipalities, making it more expensive to fund infrastructure projects like roads and public utilities.
Higher borrowing costs negatively impact municipal budgets, potentially forcing cities to reallocate funds from other essential services or delay critical infrastructure improvements.
Municipal bonds are a vital tool for funding local projects that create jobs and stimulate economic growth. Increased financing costs may reduce the number of projects undertaken and reduce economic development within local communities.
In the absence of affordable financing options, municipalities may consider raising local taxes or fees to offset higher borrowing costs and maintain the current schedule of projects that would have typically been financed by tax-exempt bonds.
Maintaining the tax exempt-status of municipal bonds is crucial for ensuring your city's ability to fund public projects and maintain essential services.
Contact your US Senators & Representatives and ask them to VOTE NO on any attempt to remove the tax-exempt status for municipal bonds. Tell them how this would impact your municipal finances.
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Save Lives Now!
Regional Violence Prevention Program
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Just over a year ago, the Save Lives Now! program was launched as a regional initiative in the St. Louis area with the goal of reducing homicides and non-fatal shootings by 20% over three years. The program employs a combination of focused deterrence, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and street outreach tactics—strategies that have proven effective in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
The Director of Save Lives Now!, Brandon Sterling held a meeting of the Advisory Council on March 27, 2025. A key component of Save Lives Now! involves deploying street interventionists to engage directly with approximately 1,150 high-risk individuals—primarily men aged 18 to 40 residing in high-crime areas. These interventionists provide trauma-informed, cognitive behavioral coaching, aiming to guide individuals away from cycles of violence. This phase of the program is set to begin outreach activities in April 2025.
Visit HERE for more information.
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St. Louis County 2050
Comprehensive Plan Open Houses
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St. Louis County is hosting three open house meetings for the public to meet their project team and comment on draft recommendations for transportation and housing affordability that are part of their "St. Louis County 2050" comprehensive plan.
Visit HERE for more information.
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Gov. Kehoe Announces
Missouri Blue Shied Program
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When Gov. Kehoe took office, he began passing executive orders there were part of his Safer Missouri initiative. One facet of Safer Missouri is the Blue Shield Program. Outlined in Executive Order 25-03, the Blue Shield Program recognizes local governments that have demonstrated efforts to enhance public safety. Municipalities may apply by June 1st to be recognized as Blue Shield cities by going HERE. Recognized cities may be eligible for small grants for law enforcement equipment and training. The list of requirements and documentation needed to complete the application can be found HERE.
Contact Courtney Kawelaske, Missouri Department of Public Safety Strategic Services Director, at [email protected] for questions about the application process.
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FOCUS St. Louis
"What's Right with the Region" Awards
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FOCUS applauds the efforts of the individuals, organizations, and initiatives making a positive difference in the St. Louis community. They're hosting their 28th Annual What's Right with the Region Awards on May 15, 2025 at UMSL's Touhill Performing Arts Center. Honorees include organizations that demonstrate innovative solutions, promote community health/well-being, plus individuals that are community changemakers.
Visit HERE for more information.
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Missouri HUD Action Plan Public Hearing
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The Missouri Department of Economic Development's Communicty Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program team is conducting public hearings on the fiscal year 2025 HUD Action Plan. Missouri is required to develop an action plan that outlines how programs funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development will operate over the next year.
The public hearing for the St. Louis region is April 10, 3:00-5:30pm at Kingshighway Library (2260 S. Vandeventer Ave).
Register HERE.
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East-West Gateway 2025-30
Hazard Mitigation Plan
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East-West Gateway's planning team recently completed the first draft of an updated Hazard Mitigation Plan for the City of St. Louis and the four Missouri counties that encompass the East-West Gateway footprint. They are now seeking public comment on the draft. The final draft of the report will be completed this fall.
Read the DRAFT and complete the online comment FORM.
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April's Training Academy will be held on Thursday the 24th at noon. Joe Lauber, Attorney and Managing Member at Lauber Municipal Law will present on the Governing Body & Staff Roles.
Municipalities can still register for the program and pay annual tuition HERE. Annual tuition allows all elected officials, staff members, and board/commission members within your municipality to attend all seminars throughout the year.
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The Municipal League of Metro St. Louis is seeking a part time administrative assistant. See our JOB LISTING for more info, call 314-726-4747 for questions, and submit resumes to [email protected].
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| DATE |
EVENT |
LOCATION |
| April 24 |
League Meeting |
Florissant |
| May 22 |
Installation Dinner |
Renaissance Airport Hotel |
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