Mayor Jones outlines ambitious goals for Black neighborhoods

There is something heartening and encouraging about a mayor, born and raised in North St. Louis, addressing opportunities for progress in that section of the city. This was on full display Tuesday during Mayor Tishaura Jones’ press conference held at the headquarters of Better Family Life, Inc. on Page Blvd in the city’s 13th Ward.

Think about it historically. In 200 years, since the election of St. Louis’ first mayor, William Carr Lane in 1823, none of the 46 preceding mayors have ever held news conferences announcing a plethora of specific investments, resources and opportunities for an area dominated by Black residents of the city.

As a prelude to Jones’ upcoming “State of the City” address next month, the mayor laid out specific investments in neighborhood stabilization; housing, construction, and rehabilitation; economic development; enhanced public services; early childhood education, small business development and many more endeavors her administration has implemented in North St. Louis.

“I grew up in this neighborhood,” Jones said in her opening remarks.

“My cousins and I used to ride our bikes up and down Page. I used to go to youth parties at the Monsanto YMCA. My mother and her sisters had many homes around here and we’d just hop between homes and have a good ole time with our families. Those are the times that I miss about growing up in St. Louis.”

During her first State of the City address in 2022, Jones promised to spend much of the $150 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds in North St. Louis to “begin bridging the racial wealth gap” and “put St. Louis on the road to economic justice.”

Jons told the crowd: “We have received about $500 million in ARPA dollars, and we have committed over half of that to the ‘economic justice plan’ and we’re using it to build and invest in North St. Louis…not only for this neighborhood but for every corner of our city that hasn’t seen investment in decades.”

Boasting that she still lives in the 13th Ward, Jones said, “My administration is committed to bringing people together to solve problems that impact you and create change that you can see and feel in your neighborhoods.”

As a self-professed “nerd,” Jones said she loves “budget season.” She recalled her role as the city’s treasurer (2013 to 2021) when she “managed a budget of millions, increased the city’s credit rating and oversaw hundreds of workers.”

“As mayor, I still do those things but now on a larger scale,” Jones added.

On the opposite side of progress, Jones took issue with GOP politicians in Jefferson City pushing legislation that would exempt certain workers outside city limits from paying the city’s 1% earnings tax and their efforts to take over the police department.

“I’m talking about politicians who have never been to St. Louis other than a Cardinals or Blues game. They’re trying to tell us how to run our city. I think we know what’s best for our city,” Jones said to exuberant applause.

Describing the city’s earnings tax as “essential money that pays for our first responders, our street improvements, and other critical services. If we get rid of the earnings tax, that’s a $300 million dollar hit to our budget per year.”

With the city’s Police Chief, Robert J. Tracy, at her side nodding in agreement, Jones said, “We’re fighting like hell to maintain control of our city’s police department. Again, we don’t need these out-state legislators who don’t know jack about St. Louis telling us how we should run our police department. This man right here (pointing to Tracy) knows how to run our police department.”  

Jones said her proposed budget, “has fully funded the Office of Violence Prevention and the Bureau of Behavioral health.” She also spoke to her administration’s work to increase public safety in the city, which includes building a “state-of-the-art” 911 facility to expedite responses to emergency calls.

“We’re putting (the word) ‘public’ back into public safety and making you safer in the process. We follow three tenants of public safety: ‘prevention, intervention, and enforcement. In order to keep everybody safe; it’s not just police officers, it’s not just firefighters, it’s not just EMS; it’s also behavioral health professionals and trusted messengers all working together to keep everybody safe.

The mayor’s team passed out  information that specifically outlined buildings for sale in the 13th Ward; funds for potential contractors interested in her “Healthy Homes Repair” program in North St. Louis; the $6.5 million allocated for “year-round” youth jobs; grants for small businesses in the city’s 14 wards; First time homebuyers assistance; Efforts to improve air conditioning and pool services at the city’s recreational centers; a new garbage recycling program and a host of other accomplishments she’ll probably detail further during her May 14th State of the City” address.

Jones said she’s working hard to change the negative narrative that has described the city for decades. Ending as a cheerleader for St. Louis, Jones urged the audience to become fellow cheerleaders who will help her reimagine the city of her youth.

“We’re putting in the work now so we can continue to share the stories of what we love about our city,” Jones stressed. “All roads go through St. Louis and it’s up to us to make sure that we are telling our own stories about the great things happening in our city.

“This is the best time to be in St. Louis.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.