Alisha Sonnier

Alisha Sonnier won a full four-year term in April with 66% of the vote.

Tishaura Jones’ loss in last month’s mayor’s election is part of a trend in St. Louis-area politics over the past few years. After ascending to some of the most powerful posts in local government, several Black female political figures either left office or were defeated.

St. Louis voters will select representatives for the Board of Aldermen’s seven odd-numbered wards.

St. Louis had $300 million and 16,000 ideas from the public on how to spend it at the beginning of this legislative session. A year later, the Board of Aldermen has made no progress.

After a little more than two hours of discussion, members did not agree to perfect any bill, instead moving proposals to the board’s informal calendar.

The Board of Aldermen was preparing to question Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, one of the bill’s sponsors, when Green gaveled the meeting into a recess, a move some members later questioned as possibly not being in accordance with the rules of the body.

Members of the board’s Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee voted 5-2, with Anne Schweitzer and Michael Browning voting no.

This compromise bridges the remaining gaps between Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier’s proposed Transform STL Act and Ward 13 Alderwoman Pamela Boyd’s alternative.

In addition to the resolutions, the Public Safety Committee heard from acting Commissioner of Corrections Tammy Ross, who says her priorities for now include focusing on staffing and fostering partnerships.

The separate proposals by Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier and Ward 13 Alderwoman Pamela Boyd have some similarities but also have differences that need to be resolved.