Do it for the jurors!
But perhaps nowhere would such a merger be more welcomed than in the city’s courts, where the average juror repeats service every 39 months. That kind of civic burden is unheard of elsewhere in the St. Louis area.
No, wait, who would benefit from a merger?
In his inaugural speech last month, Mayor Francis Slay suggested it might be time for the city and county to reunite. St. Louis split from the county in 1876.
Rejoining the two could save money for both by combining services such as fire and police. It would also go a long way in helping officials share the burden of parks and stadiums enjoyed by residents across the region.
The city wants to “share the burden” of parks and stadiums (and arenas) with neighboring areas. The city could use the money, and undoubtedly is really very sorry about leaving the county in 1876, when it didn’t want to waste its money on the surrounding area.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch continues to bang this drum on its own to, well, drum up support for the idea, but I don’t think it will (and sincerely hope it won’t) convince the more populous county to link up with a carcass whose politicians have sucked it dry and are still hungry.
