St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann used his annual report this week to call for changes to the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, arguing its decades-old voting structure no longer reflects present-day population realities.
Ehlmann criticized the regional body, which helps distribute federal funds and orchestrate collaboration across the metro area, for maintaining a voting structure that gives the City of St. Louis three votes—Mayor Cara Spencer, Board of Aldermen President Megan Green, and a city resident—and St. Charles only two. Ehlmann, who is fending off challenges from two of his fellow Republicans in his race for reelection this fall, says he plans to press the issue this year.
“We think that’s very unfair,” said Ehlmann, who is a voting member alongside St. Charles County Councilman Mike Elam. “We’ll be trying to change the bylaws this year to take one vote away from the city and give it to St. Charles County. I’m not sure it’s really hurt us yet on any particular vote. They’re not necessarily out to get us, but someday they may. I think we need to fix that while we can.”…