Running St. Louis County is a 24/7/365 job, and St. Louis County residents depend on elected leaders to be responsive to our needs and concerns, yet it seems that they’re often living in a political bubble that exists outside of our daily lives. Excuses and platitudes don’t fix potholes. Finger-pointing doesn’t pay our bills or keep the buses running on time. We need elected officials who are laser-focused on making sure that St. Louis County can meet its obligations to our residents and businesses, and we must be working diligently to innovate and evolve along with the world around us in order to survive and thrive. We deserve better than Mark Harder.

In this week’s Regular County Council Meeting there were several issues that grabbed my attention, including addressing a critical need for treatment of tuberculosis cases in St. Louis County, the fiscal cliff that St. Louis County exists on and a possible long-term solution that involves a realignment of property taxes, and testimony from a corrections employee regarding what sounds like persistent unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the County jail.

County Executive Sam Page stated that there’s an October 1 deadline that occurs every two years for the County Council to approve a realignment of the County property tax rate, which could generate roughly $48 million in additional revenue for the County. Dr. Page stated that each additional penny taxed would generate about $2 million additional dollars collectively while costing approximately $4.97 per parcel. As a result of Hancock Amendment rules and market conditions, property tax rates have declined over the last 40 years or so, and potentially realigning them to match current conditions, while appearing as just several additional dollars on the average taxpayer’s property tax bill, has the potential to make a sizeable dent in addressing the County’s budget woes.

The additional component necessary is for the Council and the Executive along with the various Department Heads to work together in a professional and effective manner to identify inefficiencies within our County government and address them with an expedited sense of urgency. We need elected officials who do the work to understand the details of governance so that they can make decisions that benefit efforts to improve the manner in which St. Louis County functions so that we can more effectively meet our obligations to County residents and businesses.

In addition, Dr. Page mentioned the immediate need for the Council to approve a transfer of funds within the Health Department to address a critical need for treatment for St. Louis County residents currently suffering from tuberculosis. Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, who is the “CDL” who coordinates with the Director of the St. Louis County Department of Health Dr. Kanika Cunningham, stated that she recently met with Dr. Cunningham in person and is aware of the immediate need to approve this funding transfer. (Councilwoman Webb and Dr. Cunningham have been at odds for most of this year so it’s good to see that they finally connected in order to discuss the critical business at hand.)

Councilman Michael Archer (South St. Louis County) made it a point to express one of his constituent’s frustrations paying their tax bill at the South County satellite office for the St. Louis County Department of Revenue. While he tried to lay these issues at the feet of the County Executive, the fact is that office hours have been reduced and our West County office closed as a result of budget cuts and lack of adequate funding needed to do the work necessary to not only properly staff and provide Monday through Friday service at Revenue offices, but to also address months-long waits for RECA applications, Senior Tax Freeze applications, and tax refunds to be processed as well. It seems that County Council members are more interested in starving the county of resources while pointing fingers at the problems that they have contributed to causing without either taking responsibility for causing the problem or being thoughtfully proactive in trying to fix the problem. At the end of the day it’s just more politics as usual with the County Council, and we suffer as a result.

There’s no doubt that you’ve been paying attention to state and federal politics as well, and these last few weeks have been quite a roller coaster regarding Missouri’s Congressional maps, not to mention federal efforts by Republicans to make it more difficult to vote, and even what appears to be a bribe by Donald Trump suggesting that he would pay a $5,000 dividend to every adult United States citizen if Republicans hold the U.S. House and Senate in the November elections. If Congressional approval was the issue, he already holds a trifecta, so why not approve those “dividends” now?

A New York Times poll this week is putting Democrats in a plus 8.5% margin for a generic “D” on the ballot. In the 7th District that margin would be a guaranteed win for us and then some. However, in 2024 58% plus of our District 7 voters supported Reproductive Rights and Paid Sick Leave only to see them attacked and repealed by the Republican politicians who also appeared on District 7 ballots and who were elected to serve by the majority of voters in this District.

While I’ve been out here doing the work nonstop for nine years, this year we also have a fresh crop of strong candidates working really hard in the State Legislative Districts that fall within the 7th District as well. In fact, two of the state House Districts- HD110 and HD100- are target districts for the Missouri Democrats as well as at the national level, so I’m really optimistic that will all the work that we see in this area from our own Jennifer Trickey in House District 88 to Vicky Wors in Senate District 26, Claire Heinrich in House District 110, Mary Ann Perkins in House District 100, Paul Lentz in House District 101, and incumbent Jaclyn Zimmerman in House District 98. With all the work that we’re seeing from Democratic candidates and organizations fighting for Voters’ Rights, Reproductive Rights, and Workers’ Rights, I believe that 2026 could be the year that Missouri Democrats finally turn this ship around and start chipping away at the Republican Party’s stranglehold on our state, and hopefully our nation as well.

If you’re interested in helping our campaign to defeat Councilman Mark Harder on November 3, here’s what you can do:

You can support our grassroots, people-powered campaign by giving today at KIEHNE2026.COM.

You can sign up to join #KiehneAction as a volunteer at KIEHNEFORMISSOURI.COM/VOLUNTEER.

You can host a meet and greet and introduce your family, friends, and neighbors to our campaign. If you’re interested, please contact the campaign at info@kiehneformissouri.com. You can also call or text us at 636-324-3570.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page signed the following bills into ordinance:

Bill No. 124, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,651
Substitute Bill No. 1 for Bill No. 105, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,652
Bill No. 138, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,653
Bill No. 149, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,654
Bill No. 150, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,655
Bill No. 151, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,656
Bill No. 152, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,657
Bill No. 153, 2026 became Ordinance No. 29,658

St. Louis County residents are invited to submit their thoughts regarding a merger proposal and the future of St. Louis County and the St. Louis region at: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-government/county-executive/what-does-a-stronger-st-louis-look-like/.

The St. Louis County Council Perfected the following bills:

BILL NO. 167, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE DECLARING THE PUBLIC NECESSITY OF AND PROVIDING FOR THE OPENING, WIDENING AND ESTABLISHING OF A SECTION OF PUBLIC ROAD DESIGNATED AS WEST FLORISSANT AVENUE, LYING WITHIN THE CITY OF COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, THE CITY OF JENNINGS, AND THE CITY OF FLORDELL HILLS; DIRECTING THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY THEREFOR; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS AND RELATED DOCUMENTS (AR-1876).
09.01.26~OC-12
Bill No. 167, 2026

The St. Louis County Council approved the following measures for Final Passage:

BILL NO. 155, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY CHILDREN’S SERVICES FUND FOR THE 2026-2029 CORE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY; ACCEPTING AND APPROPRIATING FUNDING PROVIDED FOR IN SAID CONTRACT; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-9
Bill No. 155, 2026

BILL NO. 156, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT A GRANT OF UP TO $100,000 FROM THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY CHILDREN’S SERVICES FUND; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR SUPPORT OF THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY YOUTH PROGRAM; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-11
Bill No. 156, 2026

BILL NO. 157, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER SERVICES AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS OF UP TO $200,000 FROM THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, SUBJECT TO A LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENT; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR SUPPORT OF THE KATHY J. WEINMAN SHELTER; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-10
Bill No. 157, 2026

BILL NO. 158, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT A GRANT OF UP TO $40,000 FROM THE MISSOURI VETERANS COMMISSION; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR SUPPORT OF THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY VETERANS PROGRAM; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-12
Bill No. 158, 2026

BILL NO. 159, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT A GRANT OF UP TO $288,000 FROM STATE OF MISSOURI, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY COURT OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS OF THE FAMILY COURT TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-7
Bill No. 159, 2026

BILL NO. 160, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT A GRANT OF UP TO $31,200 FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI, OFFICE OF STATE COURTS ADMINISTRATOR; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY COURT OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY’S DRUG COURT; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE FAMILY COURT ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-8
Bill No. 160, 2026

BILL NO. 161, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT A FY 25 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM GRANT OF UP TO $159,842 FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR SUPPORT OF THE PURCHASE OF THIRTY MOBILE DATA TERMINALS; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-14
Bill No. 161, 2026

BILL NO. 162, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT A FY 2025 STATE HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM COUNTER TERRORISM OFFICER EQUIPMENT GRANT OF UP TO $7,200 FROM THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR SUPPORT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO EXECUTE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-19
Bill No. 162, 2026

BILL NO. 164, 2026, INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAYS, ENTITLED: AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ACCEPT A GRANT OF UP TO $272,666.41 FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY; APPROPRIATING THE SAME FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL DRUG TASK FORCE; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO EXECUTE NECESSARY CONTRACTS OR OTHER DOCUMENTS.
08.25.26~OC-15
Bill No. 164, 2026

Resolutions:

Recognizing and congratulating St. Louis County resident Maddie DiMaria on winning the 2025-2026 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year
07.21.26~OC-12

This Week’s County Council meeting: https://boxcast.tv/channel/wdeojvfau9uqc9qt6k8z

The St. Louis County Council typically meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm at the St. Louis County Government Center, Lawrence K. Roos Building, 41 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105. You can view current and past St. Louis County Council meetings online at: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-government/county-council/

A list of public meetings can be found at https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-public-notices/.

St. Louis County government meeting agendas and minutes can be found at https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-public-notices/meeting-minutes/.

KIEHNE CALENDAR

Are you interested in hosting a meet and greet to introduce your family, friends, and neighbors to our campaign to defeat Mark Harder in November? If so, please contact the campaign at info@kiehneformissouri.com. You can also call or text us at 636-324-3570.

We also have an immediate fundraising goal. We need to raise $5,000 to launch our September push to engage with District 7 voters in the last 60 days before the November 3 Election. We need 43,000 votes to win, and we need YOUR help to get there. You can donate today at KIEHNE2026.COM or just click the “donate” button below.