ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Charter Commission is backtracking on plans to abolish the position of comptroller, which Darlene Green has held since 1995. An outpouring of opposition from citizens and Mayor Tishaura Jones overwhelmed the commission.
Meanwhile, Comptroller Green said she’s focused on her job and making sure the City of St. Louis doesn’t have to return ARPA funds to the federal government. The city has until the end of the year to allocate the pandemic relief money.
“Well, I think there should be a sense of urgency when it comes to the ARPA funding to make sure we are going to meet the deadline that’s coming up real soon,” she said. “…That’s six months from now, so I want a sense of urgency to be in the minds of city officials to make sure that the ARPA funds that we received in the City of St. Louis can be spent on all of the needs of the citizens of our city.”
The city received $498 million in ARPA funds from the federal government to address various needs. There’s a December deadline to obligate the money and a 2026 deadline to spend it or else return the money to Washington, D.C. She doesn’t think St. Louis will have to send money back but admits it’s going to be crunch time.
“We are on a good trend, so the mayor’s not wrong. We are on a good trend of spending, but it is my job as the comptroller to continue that good trend,” Green said.
