By Matt Sepic and Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis – St. Louis Aldermanic President Lewis Reed has denied speculation that he and Comptroller Darlene Green are getting security details.
Last month the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, on which Reed and Green sit, added two new sheriff's deputies to the city budget.
The budget documents do not say what those deputies would do, but sources at City Hall said they may be bodyguards and drivers for the president and comptroller.
However on Friday Reed told KWMU the deputies' exact duties have not been determined, but they may spend some of their time providing security for the board of aldermen.
"I hope people don't work to try to make this into a political issue," Reed said. "The members of the board have been fed false information, so I'm going to be talking to each and every one of them and telling them exactly what we're going to do."
Reed said the new deputy positions are part of a larger plan to improve security at courthouses.
He also said the Kirkwood City Hall shootings in February have led to a renewed interest in security at St. Louis City Hall.
Including salaries and benefits, the two deputies would cost taxpayers $37,651 each.