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St. Louis City relief funds: Reed implores Jones to approve $168M bill

The bill is a proposal to spend $168 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds in the city.

ST. LOUIS — City officials have continued to lock horns over the federal pandemic relief funds. A bill to distribute the first round of funds stalled in a city board meeting last week.

Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed asked St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones asking her to allow his relief package to clear the current hurdle.

Board Bill 2 aims to spend the first $168 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. It was held up in the Board of Estimate and Apportionment last week by Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green.

Jones leaned on the City Counselor's opinion that Reed's plan does not follow federal guidelines. Reed's Board Bill 2 included a corridor proposal that would redevelop business districts in corridors of north St. Louis, MLK, North Grand, West Florissant and Natural Bridge. 

Reed contends the City Counselor says the funds in the redevelopment proposal could be spent in a way that complies with federal guidelines.

If the Board of Estimate & Apportionment, which is made up of Reed, Jones and Green, approved Board Bill 2, it would go again to a special session of the Board of Alderman for final approval.

"North St. Louis suffers from high unemployment rates, the worst health statistics in the area, high concentration of poverty, massive infrastructure issues, and lack of access to job training, and placement opportunities. Let’s make a decision today that will improve North St. Louis,” Reed wrote in the letter to Jones Wednesday.

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