ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones is seeking re-election and three other people are vying for the mayor's position in the upcoming primary.
In a virtual forum held Monday night by the Jeff-Vander-Lou Neighborhood Association, the four St. Louis mayoral candidates all made their pitch to voters in the area.
Incumbent Tishaura Jones told voters that she has a mantra for her office.
"The city can't succeed if over half is left to fail," said Mayor Jones. "We know North St. Louis has been left to fail by intentional decisions by previous administrations."
Jones suggested that North St. Louis has been left to fail intentionally for 'the last 70 years' and since she became mayor, Jones says she is making investments that will bring commercial and retail development back in blighted areas.
"I believe the citizens of North St. Louis should have the same opportunities and access to everything that anybody else in any part of the city has access to," said Mayor Jones.
Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who is is polling ahead of Mayor Jones, says she running because the City can do better at providing basic needs.
"We have got to have a comprehensive plan for North St. Louis," said Spencer. "My plan for North St. Louis looks like building a city service system that works, public services that can be reliable and most importantly rebuilding trust."
"I think one difference between me and the current administration is not only the sense of urgency, but this enormous once in a lifetime opportunity of COVID funds that has not only been sitting there for four years, the proposals for North St. Louis have done the opposite of building trust."
Spencer says the Aldermanic board not only allocated $37 million for businesses to get through COVID-19 pandemic, another $17 million was put into stabilizing private businesses.
"The corruption we have seen coming out of that program does the exact opposite of building trust, which is so badly needed," said Spencer.
Michael Butler is also running for Mayor and says his focus is on housing. Butler says when it comes to North St. Louis, citizens tell him improve housing.
"I will focus everyday on improving housing in North St. Louis, reducing the vacant housing that has become an eyesore for our city and turning those into livable spaces again," said Butler.
Andrew Jones ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in 2016, but said then, the City needed a plan. Jones also called the City of St. Louis "wokely inept".
"We are looking at issues that should've been taken care of back in 2016 when I first initially ran," said Jones. "I talked about economic, business and community development as falling under the umbrella of a economic comprehensive plan."
