ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.—Voters in the St. Louis region largely said yes Tuesday to municipalities asking for the ability to collect sales tax on recreational marijuana in addition to deciding the fates of city councils, school boards and other municipal questions in both Missouri and Illinois.
Dozens of Missouri municipalities put the question of a 3% sales tax to voters Tuesday as allowed under the November 2022 statewide ballot question that legalized recreational marijuana. Nearly all of the proposals in St. Louis County passed, with the exception of four North St. Louis County cities--Charlack, Flordell Hills, Northwoods and Velda City. Countywide marijuana tax questions also passed in St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Lincoln County. The debate over whether counties will legally be able to collect the tax on top of incorporated municipalities which also passed their own sales taxes is likely a question to be answered in court.
Voters in the city of St. Louis finished the process of reshaping the former 28-member Board of Aldermen into a 14-member body, with the city's progressive wing scoring more wins, as Alderman Brett Narayan defeated longtime Alderman Joe Vacarro, for the 4th Ward seat, while State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge narrowly defeated realtor Ebony Washington by 76 votes in a 14th Ward contest which had become heated in recent weeks.
The Aldridge-Washington race was nearly in court when Aldridge accused Washington of owing back taxes and failing to qualify for the ballot, before Washington paid. The Ward 11 race between Laura Keys and Carla Wright was in court Monday with Keys accusing Wright of failing to meet residency requirements. Keys' unofficial victory renders the suit moot.
City voters also approved the formation of a Commission to look at Charter revisions.
"The St. Louis City Charter, designed for the horse-and-buggy era, is well overdue for a comprehensive review. The passage of Prop C by the voters establishes a transparent, resident-driven process to recommend changes to bring city government into the 21st century," Mayor Tishaura Jones said late Tuesday night.
"In the days following the certification of election results, the City will open applications for this new commission. I encourage St. Louisans from all different backgrounds to apply to serve."
The only school district ballot question in St. Louis County passed, as voters in the Mehlville School District approved a plan to raise more than $6 million to pay for teacher pay raises.
Voters in the Northwest R-1 School District in Jefferson County approved a ballot question that will fund school security improvements.
Among the results in the Metro East, Edwardsville School District voters approved a $100 million zero-tax-rate bond issue to address school safety and security improvements.
Check here for complete election results: