“Since there is a wide variety of opinions within our membership, for now our role is to educate them on the initiative,” RBC President and CEO Kathy Osborn said on Saturday. “We are aware, though, that our fragmented governmental structure is not sustainable.”

Other business leaders said they were waiting — some with more skepticism than others — and declined to comment.

Meanwhile, municipal officials said they had been calling businesses in their communities and urging them to carefully consider their support.

Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation said the city had called Bayer and asked if it could have “an opportunity to educate” the company. Nation said he personally called Spire Inc. CEO Suzanne Sitherwood.

Creve Coeur Mayor Barry Glantz has called Bayer, too. And outgoing Clayton Mayor Harold Sanger said he called several companies headquartered in Clayton — but declined to say which.

“Everybody’s just shaking their heads,” he said. “They’re all kind of spooked.”

Rice said last week that she worried she had lost an ally in Stenger when she removed his appointment from the amendment. But she is certain that it made the proposal stronger and that donors will come when asked.