JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Rep. Jim Murphy is calling on Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to investigate St. Louis County’s use of revenue generated by Proposition P amid the possibility that more than 200 county police officers could be laid off because of a funding shortfall.
In a letter calling for immediate action, Murphy wrote:
“On April 4, 2017, St. Louis County voters approved Proposition P, a one-half of one percent sales tax increase intended to strengthen public safety and put more police officers on the streets of St. Louis County.
County officials told voters the tax was projected to generate more than $80 million in its first year. The revenue would be distributed among more than 90 municipalities, with a significant portion going to the St. Louis County Police Department. The funds were intended to support police officer pay raises, increase staffing, and expand the use of two-officer patrol cars.
Since 2017, however, St. Louis County has diverted a significant portion of Proposition P revenue to other county services. By failing to use these funds as voters were promised, the County has jeopardized public safety and betrayed the public trust. We are now seeing the consequences.
County Executive Sam Page has announced the possible layoff of more than 200 St. Louis County police officers because of a funding shortfall. Had Proposition P funds been spent as promised, this crisis could have been avoided.
I am calling on Attorney General Catherine Hanaway to immediately investigate whether Proposition P funds were legally transferred to other uses. I am also calling on State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to conduct an audit of St. Louis County’s spending practices and determine exactly where these taxpayer dollars went.
St. Louis County police officers are dedicated public servants who put their lives on the line every day. They are not political bargaining chips to be used by the County Executive to cover up the County’s financial mismanagement. They—and the public they serve—deserve transparency, accountability, and our full support.
The citizens of my district know the answer to our public safety challenges is not fewer police officers.
We do not need fewer officers. We need more.”
State Representative Jim Murphy, a Republican, represents parts of St. Louis County (District 94) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2018. For more information, please contact Rep. Murphy’s office at 573-751-3719 or by email at Jim.Murphy@House.Mo.Gov.