County officials seek to block a controversial measure on the upcoming ballot through legal action.
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Six St. Louis County department heads filed a lawsuit Wednesday, seeking to prevent a proposed charter amendment from appearing on the April ballot. The amendment, if passed, would grant the county council authority to fire department heads, a move plaintiffs argue is misleading and legally problematic.
Last month, the county council approved the measure amid an ongoing power struggle with County Executive Sam Page’s administration. Council members have accused Page and his department heads of obstructing oversight efforts. Initially, Council Chair Rita Heard Days proposed a measure allowing the removal of the county executive but later revised it to target department heads, who could be dismissed with a five-member council vote.
The department heads from revenue, public health, parks and recreation, aviation, administration, and municipal courts allege in their lawsuit that the ballot language misrepresents the amendment by falsely implying it restores powers previously held by the council and understating potential fiscal impacts.
A key legal concern is that the amendment does not explicitly exclude the police chief as a department head, which could conflict with existing statutes that grant removal authority over the chief to the Board of Police Commissioners. Plaintiffs warn that this ambiguity could lead to costly legal disputes not addressed in the ballot language.
“Living in fear of retaliation if we do not provide the preferred answer or respond quickly enough to an email is unsustainable,” the plaintiffs stated. “This suit is meant to inform the public that essential government services are at risk and that this is not how governance should function.” They further argued that council interference in department operations creates ethical and legal complications.
On Tuesday, Page vetoed the legislation authorizing the vote, calling it a “power grab” and citing similar concerns about the measure’s language. He also noted that the county lacks the $600,000 needed to fund the election. Despite the veto, removing the amendment from the ballot requires a judge’s order, with a deadline set for Tuesday.
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