While St. Louis City workers grapple with a spike in health insurance premiums and an insufficient 3% raise, the Mayor’s office defended its proposed budget in last night’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment meeting. Dramatic increases for travel and membership fees pad the budget while our workers’ financial needs are neglected. 

 If passed, city residents will pay $30,000 for “membership fees” to two mayor’s associations and a four-fold increase in the mayor’s travel budget. The mayor also would receive a more than 20% increase in pay by accepting the $30,000 mayoral “contingent fund” on top of her $132,000 salary. Whether or not this is in line with past mayors and though part of those funds will cover annual expenses, this increase is grossly out-of-touch with the raises allocated to our first responders and other city workers. It is time for the mayor’s office to put prioritize our hard-working citizens. 

– The Ethical Society of Police

ABOUT THE ETHICAL SOCIETY OF POLICE
The Ethical Society of Police (ESOP) is an association of police officers, park rangers, and civilians that advocates for racial and gender equity in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department. ESOP was founded in 1972 to address racial biases within law enforcement. ESOP also works to improve community/police relations, develop policies and programs to reduce crime, elevate the status of minority civilians and police officers, encourage greater minority employment by law enforcement agencies, and increase professionalism in law enforcement. Membership is open to all races and includes more than 370 law enforcement professionals employed by the City and County of St. Louis. ESOP membership is approximately 97% African American, but membership is open to all races, religions and sexual orientations. For details, call (314) 690-3565, email [email protected] or visit www.esopstl.org.