ST. LOUIS — Freedom Principle MO is voicing strong opposition to a proposal by Sam Page to have St. Louis City re-enter St. Louis County as a municipality, calling the plan a response to financial mismanagement and warning it could shift high costs onto county taxpayers.
The organization described the proposed merger as “a desperate attempt to mask years of mismanagement” under Page’s leadership.
The plan includes consolidating government buildings and sharing costs for services such as policing, street maintenance and public health.
According to the group, the proposal comes at a time when the county is facing an ongoing budget crisis, including a deficit that has led to service cuts and reductions.
Byron Keelin, president of Freedom Principle MO, said that the ideas being presented should have been addressed earlier.
“The cost-sharing and building consolidation ideas should have been addressed long ago when inefficiencies were first evident,” Keelin said. “This is what happens when political leaders lack vision and fail to plan responsibly.”
Keelin further criticized the proposal as an attempt to shift responsibility for the county’s financial situation.
“It’s a very sad day when the St. Louis County Executive is asking St. Louis City to bail him out for his mismanagement of the County’s budget,” he said, adding that the proposal is “a last-ditch” effort to cover for what he described as years of mismanagement that resulted in a budget deficit exceeding $40 million.
The organization also raised concerns about the potential financial impact of a merger on county residents.
St. Louis City faces significant challenges of its own, including policies the group claims undermine public safety and infrastructure issues such as deteriorating water lines, the organization noted.
Freedom Principle MO argued that combining the city and county could require county taxpayers to bear the costs of upgrading outdated city infrastructure and services.
“The proposed merger could mean that St. Louis County taxpayers would be on the hook to pay for upgraded infrastructure and other outdated services,” Keelin said.
In addition to opposing the merger, the organization criticized a proposed 3.5125% sales tax on online purchases, also referred to as a use tax, which has been advanced by the County Council toward a potential August ballot.
Freedom Principle MO noted it is firmly against the measure and urged council members to reject it, noting that voters previously turned down a similar proposal in 2022.
“The County Council should vote this down for now and allow new leadership to undo some of the collective damage done,” Keelin said, adding that approval of the measure would amount to “bailing out Page” rather than holding him accountable.
Freedom Principle MO also brought up legal issues involving Page, stating that he is under indictment for election fraud and related charges, including felony counts of stealing by deceit tied to the alleged use of taxpayer funds to oppose a 2025 ballot initiative known as Proposition B.
The organization cited these allegations as further evidence that he should not lead efforts related to a merger.
Freedom Principle MO expressed support for alternative leadership, specifically naming County Council member Dennis Hancock as someone it believes could address the county’s financial challenges more effectively.
The group said it believes that under new leadership, the county would be better positioned to manage budget shortfalls and engage in more productive discussions about regional collaboration.
