The St. Louis Board of Aldermen is the lawmaking body of St. Louis, an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. The Board consists of 14 alderpersons, one elected by each of the city's 14 wards. The President of the Board is a separate position elected by all city voters with the same voting power as an alderperson, and serves as the body's presiding officer.

Alderpersons may introduce legislation known as board bills, which are subject to approval by the mayor if passed by the Board. The Board is responsible for setting the city budget and conducting oversight of city departments and agencies.

The Board meets in the north wing of City Hall, located in the Downtown West neighborhood. Regular elections to the Board of Aldermen are held in the spring of odd-numbered years. Beginning with the 2023 elections, the Board of Aldermen was reduced from 28 members to 14.

Composition The Board of Aldermen consists of one representative from each of the city's 14 wards. The President of the Board is elected as a separate office by a general citywide ballot. After the 2023 ward reductions, all alderpersons are elected to four-year terms during the spring election of odd-numbered years, as is the mayor.

Proposition R (2012) Proposition R (2012) was a charter amendment passed in November 2012 to reduce the number of city of St. Louis alderpersons from 28 to 14. It was slated to take place 10 years in the future (effective January 1, 2022) and was passed by city voters on November 6, 2012, with 61 percent voting in favor (60 percent was needed for passage).

Proposition D (2020) Proposition D, a ballot measure to make municipal elections in St. Louis officially non-partisan, was passed by city voters on November 3, 2020 with 68 percent voting in favor. Proposition D also changed St. Louis municipal elections to use approval voting, which allows voters to vote for as many candidates in a race as they would like, with each of their choices carrying an equal weight, meaning they do not rank the candidates.

Proposition R (2022) Proposition R (2022) called for an independent commission to draw boundaries between the wards of St. Louis and ensured that the board was not able to change the election method without a public vote. Prop R also strengthened ethics by creating new stipulations for conflicts of interest and required alderpersons to recuse themselves when such conflicts arise.

Powers By custom and tradition, an alderperson has a great deal of influence over decisions impacting the ward they represent on matters ranging from zoning changes, to street resurfacing, to tax abatement to business licensing, etc.

By city charter, alderpersons are legislators. Alderpersons introduce laws and legislation known as board bills that can become city ordinances which can impact the quality of lives of city residents.

Committees As of April 2025, the Board of Aldermen has seven standing committees. CommitteeChairBudget & Public EmployeesRasheen Aldridge (14th)Health & Human DevelopmentPamela Boyd (13th)Housing, Urban Development, & ZoningShameem Clark-Hubbard (10th)Legislation & RulesDaniela Velázquez (6th)Public Infrastructure & UtilitiesMichael Browning (9th)Public SafetyBret Narayan (4th)Transportation & CommerceShane Cohn (3rd) Qualifications To become an alderperson, one must be a registered voter, twenty-five years of age, have been a United States citizen for at least five years, a resident of the city for three years, and for one year a resident of the ward from which elected. The President must be at least thirty years of age and a city resident for at least five years.

Membership While the office of alderperson is officially nonpartisan, all incumbents are either Democrats or independents. The last Republican to hold a Board seat lost re-election in 2011. The current composition of the Board was sworn in on April 15, 2025. Ward / PositionMapMemberTook officeCorridorMajor neighborhood(s) servedCurrent term expiresPresidentMegan Green2022At-large2027Ward 1Anne Schweitzer2021SouthCarondelet, Patch, Bevo Mill2029Ward 2Tom Oldenburg2017SouthSt. Louis Hills, Princeton Heights, Boulevard Heights2027Ward 3Shane Cohn2009SouthDutchtown2029Ward 4Bret Narayan2019SouthDogtown, Lindenwood Park2027Ward 5Matt Devoti2025SouthThe Hill, North Hampton, Southwest Garden2029Ward 6Daniela Velázquez2023SouthTower Grove South, Shaw, Compton Heights2027Ward 7Alisha Sonnier2023Central/SouthTower Grove East, Benton Park West2029Ward 8Jami Cox Antwi2025Central/SouthDowntown, Soulard, Lafayette Square2027Ward 9Michael Browning2023CentralCentral West End, Forest Park Southeast2029Ward 10Shameem Clark-Hubbard2019Central/NorthSkinker-DeBaliviere, West End2027Ward 11Laura Keys2022Central/NorthJeffVanderLou, O'Fallon, Midtown2029Ward 12Sharon Tyus2013NorthThe Ville, Penrose2027Ward 13Pamela Boyd2017NorthWells Goodfellow, North Riverfront2029Ward 14Rasheen Aldridge2023Central/NorthDowntown, St. Louis Place, Hyde Park2027

List of presidents The president presides at all the meeting, preserves decorum and determines all questions of order. The president appoints standing and special committees and serves as an equal member of all committees. The president assigns bills to appropriate committees and refers bills, when ready, to the Engrossment Committee. The president directs action from the broad elevated podium in the front and center of the semi-circulate position.

PartyPresidentTenureRefRepublicanLouis P. Aloe19171924RepublicanWalter J. G. Neun19241935DemocraticWilliam L. Mason19351941RepublicanMichael J. Hart19411943RepublicanAloys P. Kaufmann19431943RepublicanEdgar S. Nicolai19431945RepublicanAlbert L. Schweitzer19451947RepublicanCharles Albanese19471955DemocraticDonald Gunn19551959DemocraticA. J. Cervantes19591963DemocraticDonald Gunn19631968DemocraticJames Noonan19681969RepublicanJoseph Badaracco19691975DemocratPaul Simon19751980DemocraticEugene Bradley (interim)19801980DemocraticThomas Zych19801987DemocraticThomas A. Villa19871995DemocraticFrancis G. Slay19952001DemocraticJames F. Shrewsbury20012007DemocraticLewis E. Reed20072022DemocraticJoseph Vollmer (interim)20222022DemocraticMegan Green2022 (incumbent)

Party composition Party composition YearLana Stein--"St. Louis Politics" page 174 Democratic Republican Independent 1945 8 20 0 1947 8 20 0 1949 13 15 0 1951 17 11 0 1953 21 7 0 1955 24 4 0 1957 24 4 0 1959 24 4 0 1961 24 4 0 1963 24 4 0 1965 26 2 0 1967 22 6 0 1969 24 4 0 1971 24 4 0 1973 25 3 0 1975 26 2 0 1977 27 1 0 1979 26 2 0 1981 26 2 0 1983 27 1 0 2009 27 1 0 2011 27 0 1 2013 27 0 1 2015 28 0 0 2017 28 0 0 2019 28 0 0 2021 28 0 0 2023 14 0 020251400

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References

External links Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis