Some opponents said they voted against this particular bill because it placed the question on the April 2019 ballot — an election in which voter turnout in the city is typically much lower than others — contending it was a manipulation of the electoral system to give the initiative a better chance. Others felt voters spoke decisively on the matter in 2012.

The measure that voters approved will cut the number of aldermen from 28 to 14.

Advocates of ward reduction often point to the city’s declining population. With the population dropping by more than half since 1950, supporters argue, the Board of Aldermen should follow suit and become more efficient.

St. Louis voters rejected a plan in 1957 that would have cut the board to 15 members. Two other proposals died in the 1980s, and a fourth was soundly rejected in 2004, despite an overhaul pushed by some of the city’s most influential firms and leaders.

But the tide changed as city departments faced budget cuts and residents grew frustrated with new charges for services such as trash pickup.

The 2012 proposal called for the new wards to be configured after the 2020 census released new population figures. City aldermen in May approved a resolution that would create an advisory committee to begin navigating ward reduction and eventually report on how it would affect city services.

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