By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Proposition S in St. Charles County overwhelmingly passed Tuesday, gaining 70% of all 'yes' votes.
That means the county will be able to sue cities that violate state law on annexing land.
County Councilman Joe Brazil says the initiative came because of what he calls illegal expansion in O'Fallon and Wentzville.
"St. Charles County residents realized the illegal and explosive growth in this county with the school districts and the infrastructure and everything else. And they just decided enough is enough," Brazil said.
Opponents of Prop. S said it gave the county too much power.
In other elections, two mayors in St. Charles County were voted out of office.
Tom Brown, who has been mayor of St. Peters for 20 years, lost to Shawn Brown (no relation). Shawn Brown ended up with 55% of the vote, tabbing more than 1,000 votes more than the incumbent.
The vote was much closer in Wentzville, where Mayor Vicki Boedecker lost her seat by just 17 votes to Paul Lambi. (The vote was 1,403-1,386).
Democrat Hazel Erby won the St. Louis County Council seat that Charlie Dooley vacated to become County Executive when Buzz Westfall died.
Most school tax or bond questions on the region's ballots passed, including in Fort Zumwalt, Francis Howell, Hillsboro, Parkway and University City School Districts.
Questions in the De Soto and Maplewood-Richmond Heights School Districts failed.
The Wentzville School District can now borrow money, but not raise property taxes. Hazelwood schools got permission to raise taxes, but not borrow money.
A proposed Transportation District along Manchester Road in a handful of St. Louis County communities failed.