By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says he plans to focus on his job despite a recall effort seeking to oust him.
Supporters of former Fire Chief Sherman George announced the recall effort at a rally staged at City Hall on Sunday.
Mayor Slay says he does not expect support from every citizen, but he says the city has come a long way in his six years in office.
"People seem to forget, possibly, that just a few years ago this city was losing more people and jobs faster than virtually any other city in America," Slay said. "That's changed. The population is on the increase; the job base is stabilizing, and as I said investment and development is going on in neighborhoods that haven't seen investment in decades."
The mayor and former fire chief tangled when George refused to make promotions based on a 2004 test.
Organizers of the recall will need 40,000 signatures from at least 18 wards to force a vote.