Board of Freeholders first meeting goes on without St. Louis city representatives

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — It was a strange first meeting for a group that is supposed to have the power to come up with changes for regional government.   This courtship ritual between the city and county had nine members present from the county and one member from the Governor, but nine empty chairs from the city who is still squabbling over who should be on the board. Despite the lack of members, KMOX asked Chairwoman Dee Joyner what they plan to tackle after the city's members are selected. Her answer?

"We better listen a whole lot before we decide what we are gonna tackle."  

Joyner added that they have to get out in the community and start there before posing any changes. County member Jason Wilson tells KMOX he would like to see that the city has parity.  

"Economically across this region, there's an investment in the Northside, there are people from the northside spending money across town and vice versa." Fred Searcy is also a member from the county. 

"How we can integrate the educational systems from the city and county? We need to find a way to redistribute the money.  We have to find a way to make it equitable throughout the area." Member Mark Montavanni says he doubts the whole thing will end up in a marriage of the city and county; but likely will lead to more cooperation between the two. Meanwhile, Mayor Krewson was asked if it's embarrassing to host the Freeholders, but not have city members on the board. "It's not embarrassing for me, but it does not reflect well on the city that we can't get the board of alderman to take a vote." Krewson says she's now willing to consider alternates to her original picks.  At issue is whether enough people were picked from north St. Louis. © 2019 KMOX (Entercom). All rights reserved.