ST. LOUIS — Former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger is seeking a judge’s permission to pay $130,000 in restitution to the county before he’s sentenced next week.

The proposed restitution payment may be as little as one-quarter of the amount Stenger has cost the county. His guilty plea agreement listed between $250,000 and $550,000 in losses attributed to his crimes. The loss amount could include bribes or political donations paid to him, the cost of contracts either awarded or sought through corruption, as well as the cost to taxpayers of insider real estate deals.

County officials were also trying to calculate earlier this month what they thought Stenger owed taxpayers.

County Executive Sam Page declined to comment on the restitution.

The County Council's presiding officer, Ernie Trakas, R-6th District, said the amount was a "clever legal maneuver" by Stenger's lawyer, Scott Rosenblum.

Did Trakas think $130,000 was enough?