Residents Prioritize Ideas For Rams Settlement Funds

ST. LOUIS - Residents have selected the ideas they want the Board of Aldermen to research, vet for feasibility, and consider for funding.

The voting period on a shortlist of ideas, the latest phase in the public process for the Rams Settlement Funds, attracted 12,442 online and paper responses during its thirty-day voting window. By comparison, the Board of Aldermen received 3,195 completed surveys when it launched its kick-off survey in August 2023 to identify resident challenges. There are now 16,000 registered users on the City’s public engagement platform—making the Rams Settlement process the City’s largest public participation event in recent memory.

The voting exercise’s multi-vote option allowed participants to allocate ten votes, or “tokens,” to express their priorities by distributing tokens among twenty ideas. Four ideas received more than 8,000 votes: replacement of water mains, traffic calming & pedestrian-friendly street design, raising wages or salaries for city employees, and free or municipally subsidized child care for residents. Notably, replacing water mains received votes from the largest number of unique individuals, with 5,510 supporters (or 46% of online voters).

Online Results

Replacement of Water Mains

9,953 votes from 5,510 supporters

Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Friendly Street Design

8,973 votes from 5,155 supporters

Increase Wages and Salaries for City Employees

8,802 votes from 4,797 supporters

Free or Municipally Subsidized Child Care for Residents

8,271 votes from 4,592 supporters

Of the 12,442 registered users who participated in online voting, 77.7% identified themselves as City residents; 5.2% identified as non-city residents—but work, own a business, or visit the City; only 17.1% of respondents chose not to share that information. A final report of the online and paper results, including data disaggregated by demographic and geographic information will be released ahead of the Board’s next Committee of the Whole Meeting scheduled for February 15 at 6:00 p.m.

“These results paint a clearer picture of residents’ priorities,” said Cristina Garmendia, Policy Director to President Green and author of the report. “It’s our responsibility in the President’s Office to organize city-wide engagement and share that information with the full board so they can make informed decisions.”

Community support for ideas is a critical data point the Board of Aldermen will consider before making a final decision. Each of the ideas that received strong public support will be researched, vetted for feasibility, and discussed with experts in the field, community organizations, and residents.

“This phase of the process is proof that people want to make decisions with their elected leaders,” said Board of Aldermen President Megan E. Green. “Until now, residents haven’t had an opportunity to participate in a way that works for them. I’m encouraged by the response and look forward to building on an approach that connects more residents to the City’s policy-making process long-ter

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