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Chaos at St. Louis City Hall: Spending deal collapses amid drinking allegations

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ST. LOUIS, Missouri — A $294 million spending plan for the city's NFL 
settlement money devolved into chaos Friday, culminating in Board of 
Aldermen President Megan Green abruptly leaving the chamber and later 
accusing a colleague of being intoxicated — a claim that has prompted 
threats of legal action.

The dramatic collapse of negotiations over the Rams settlement funds 
exposed deep divisions within city leadership and sparked a series of 
extraordinary accusations that have further strained relationships at City 
Hall.

Alderman Joe Vollmer, who Green accused in a since-deleted social media 
post of being "visibly intoxicated" during the session, has threatened 
legal action. "This is defamation of character," Vollmer said. "As much as 
I love to drink, there was nothing but coffee in my Yeti yesterday 
morning."

No other board members could corroborate Green's allegations of drinking 
during the session, which ended abruptly around 11:40 a.m. 

The underlying dispute centered on a compromise crafted by Alderwomen Pam 
Boyd and Alisha Sonnier ten days ago, which unraveled after Green began 
making changes. The situation reached a breaking point when Green left the 
chamber floor just as the debate was beginning and a coalition was forming 
against her plan.

"All of a sudden, things aren't going the certain way, so they took their 
ball and went home," Vollmer said, criticizing Green's leadership tactics. 
"This is not a monarchy. This is the Board of Aldermen. The President of 
the Board is supposed to be a leader and work with us, not treat us like 
subjects."

Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, who was prevented from speaking during the 
session, proposed an alternative to move $40 million for immediate water 
infrastructure repairs while delaying decisions on the remaining funds. 
The urgency, according to several board members, stems partly from 
concerns about potential Trump administration cuts to local funding.

RELATED: St. Louis meeting ends in chaos as top official abruptly exits 
over $294M fund dispute

Green defended her actions from her office after the meeting. "Corporate 
interests do not get to solely dictate what legislation looks like at the 
board, nor do a couple of members reaching a deal with corporate interests 
mean that our democratic processes at the board stop," she said.

When pressed about shutting down the debate, Green insisted the discussion 
would "resume on Tuesday when some cooler heads prevail."

Even Sonnier, typically one of Green's closest allies, expressed 
reservations about how the meeting was handled. "I think that I would have 
liked us to have a conversation on the bills that were here today," she 
said.

Mayor Tishaura Jones has suggested reviving the initial Boyd-Sonnier 
compromise that preceded Green's modifications.

The board is scheduled to reconvene Tuesday, though Green's accusations 
have created a new layer of tension. While some aldermen acknowledged the 
historical presence of alcohol in office spaces during lengthy sessions, 
Alderman Bret Narayan defended his colleagues: "Drunk people don't cite 
specific rules and ask for votes. I've never seen any of my colleagues 
drunk on the floor."

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/board-of-aldermen-president-
megan-green-accuses-colleagues-of-drinking-on-the-job-alderman-threatens-
defamation-suit-after-tense-meeting-unravels/63-a3f39ca2-72fa-4601-8e9d-
59166eedd87c?ref=exit-recirc

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Chaos at St. Louis City Hall: Spending deal collapses amid drinking allegations useapen <yourdime@outlook.com> - 2025-02-04 08:40 +0000

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