“There seems to be an initial consensus among members of this ad hoc group that bringing St. Louis City and County together again into one county, while potentially beneficial, will not in itself solve the problems facing our region,” the group said in an eight-page report.

“We should be prepared to use the information gathered throughout this process to suggest a path forward, based on the research done and input we gather, sharing this information with the (Board of Freeholders) if one is established, and with the Better Together organization if and when it begins public work again. ... We believe that we should try to harness the energy of those discussions, in this one part of the St. Louis metropolitan region, to jump-start the regional conversation of how the entire St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area can grow at a pace to rival other metropolitan areas around the country.”