Tuesday, November 03, 2009

History repeating itself - 133 years later

Today voters in St. Louis County will decide whether St. Louis City goes smoke free. Thinking about the situation, I've been trying to think of any possible scenario where the tables would be reversed? When would St. Louis City voters decide the fate of an issue in St. Louis County? I can't think of any. Can you?

I believe the only time this has happened, around here at least, was way back in 1876, when the voters of St. Louis City decided to permanently separate themselves from St. Louis County creating the so-called "Great Divorce". However, even then, voters in St. Louis County had a say on the issue. It just didn't make any difference. They were so heavily outnumbered, their votes didn't matter.

Indeed, St. Louis County, if memory serves, voted against the Great Divorce. It was the vote in St. Louis City that made it happen. And so today, something similar might happen again. Whether or not St. Louis City voters favor a smoking ban, St. Louis County voters will decide the issue.

3 comments:

Mark Groth said...

The only thing I can think of where St. Louis might affect STL county would be airport related. Since the city owns it, but it's located in the county...

Rick Bonasch said...

I don't think the County has much responsibility for it either. The city owns, operates, and pays for a lot of the cost of the operation.

City taxes go to cover Lambert expenses. Do County taxes? I don't know.

Jennifer said...

Well, that happened with last year's Proposition M as well. The City had already approved a one-quarter cent sales tax increase, but the increase doesn't kick in until the County approves one as well. So it was up to the County to decide for the region. We have a very interesting and unique system of governance in this region.