The St. Louis mayoral debate moments everyone is talking about

Yahoo

14-03-2025

ST. LOUIS – With less than a month away from the April 2025 municipal election for St. Louis mayor, incumbent Tishaura Jones and challenger Cara Spencer faced off in a spirited debate Thursday evening at the FOX 2 news studios.
The candidates tackled a range of critical issues to make a compelling appeal to voters. The debate covered topics critical to this election cycle, including public safety, the economy, public services and the proposed state takeover of the St. Louis Police Department.
Here's a closer look at five memorable moments within the debate that highlighted where Jones and Spencer stand on key issues.
CLICK HERE for the full debate between Jones and Spencer.
The debate opened with discussions around a Missouri crime bill awaiting the governor's approval, which would shift control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department from the mayor's office to a state-controlled board.
Spencer spoke first on the topic, expressing her desire to keep police oversight at the local level. However, she criticized Jones for not talking to enough Missouri representatives to prevent a state takeover. Spencer also emphasized the importance of protecting residents and ensuring the city has a voice in negotiations with the governor's office.
Jones warned that a state takeover could erase progress she claims was made under her administration in reducing crime through the St. Louis police force. She called the bill a violation of people's rights, noting that in 2012, more than 60% of voters support ending the Civil War-era policy of state control.
Both candidates acknowledged uncertainties surrounding the potential takeover and outlined plans to recruit and retain officers regardless of the outcome. Spencer stressed the need to build coalitions and clarify the role of elected leaders in addressing policing issues beyond state control. She also highlighted the importance of competitive pay to attract officers.
Jones detailed her administration's efforts to recruit and retain officers, including raising police salaries twice during her term and hiring a police chief from outside St. Louis. She touted the city's data-driven approach to crime prevention and a policy ensuring that officer applicants receive a response within 24-48 hours.
One FOX 2 viewer submitted a video question for the debate, sharing that he grew up in the county and frequently visited the city, but no longer feels safe doing so. The candidates were asked how they would restore confidence in people like him to visit and live in St. Louis.
Jones pointed to SLMPD's real-time crime tracker and local crime reports, stating that crime has dropped by double-digit percentages since she took office. She encouraged people to look at the data for themselves and said, 'I would give us a chance to take a look at what goes on downtown,' also highlighting the city's sporting events as a reason to visit.
Spencer challenged Jones' assessment, arguing that while homicides have decreased, vehicular manslaughter has risen. She said, 'The reality is, people don't feel safe.' Spencer also pointed to a shortage of police officers in enforcing laws, particularly for traffic.
Jones, then asked about her stance on traffic law enforcement, said policing alone isn't the answer. She highlighted $300 million in transportation upgrades and her push to reinstate red-light cameras to hold drivers accountable without disproportionately harming vulnerable communities. She also addressed temp tag enforcement and noted that to be the state's responsibility.
Spencer criticized the focus on infrastructure, arguing it doesn't address enforcement issues. She maintained that the city, not the state, should ensure vehicles have proper plates and called red-light cameras 'absolutely useless' in solving the problem.
Along with that, the candidates were asked about the city's automated 911 system. Spencer criticized it, arguing that every emergency call should be answered by a person. She advocated for a fully-staffed 911 center and partnership with surrounding municipalities to improve emergency response.
Jones pushed back, acknowledging the 911 response delays have been a longstanding issue, but stating that the automated system has actually improved response times. She noted her administration secured funding for a new 911 center expected to open in 2026, which will streamline dispatcher roles and include behavioral health support.
Throughout the debate, Jones and Spencer were asked about various financial responsibilities of the St. Louis mayor's office, leading to some of the most heated exchanges of the night.
On the unallocated Rams settlement funds, nearly $300 million, Jones emphasized the importance of investing for the long-term. She warned that federal spending freezes and budget cuts could redirect some of the money elsewhere, making it critical to secure lasting investments. She stood by her support for a bill aimed at revitalizing neighborhoods and expanding childcare services.
Spencer then pivoted the focus to ARPA funds, criticizing their slow distribution and stressing the urgency of effectively allocating the remaining $500 million before deadlines. She then expressed that a portion of the Rams settlement funds should go toward infrastructure improvements, citing frequent water breaks as a major issue. She also criticized Jones for securing only $111,000 in national funding for infrastructure projects.
Jones rebutted, blaming the state for only sending $111,000 in infrastructure funds, then challenged Spencer's remarks, saying, 'I wish you would start telling the truth when you're answering the questions.'
Later on, the debate led to a discussion on St. Louis' 1% earnings tax and the possibility next year of voters deciding not to retain it.
Jones stated that she signed an executive order for a commission to study how to diversify revenue sources if the earnings tax is phased out. She framed this as a step toward financial stability.
Spencer warned that eliminating the earnings tax could prove devastating for city services, noting the earnings tax makes up a third of the city budget. While she credited Jones for forming the commission, she vowed to fight to keep the tax while also exploring alternative revenue streams.
Before the Rams settlement and earning tax talks, the candidates also briefly discussed the finances behind a proposed north-to-south MetroLink expansion known as the 'Green Line.' Spencer questioned whether $10 million allocated annually for this plane would be enough to fund what she envisioned as a $1 billion project. She said a revised Green Line plan was a 'poor truncation' of the original vision, arguing that a larger project with more community input is needed.
Jones dismissed Spencer's claims as 'patently false' and emphasized the project's funding comes primarily from a dedicated sales tax.
Jones and Spencer were asked to clarify their positions on snow removal, trash removal and the handling of city jail services.
First, Jones clarified that a comment of a 'B-minus' grade she made on the city's snow removal efforts from an early-January snowstorm, the city's largest in six years, was taken out of context. She stated that main streets were plowed, allowing people to get out of their homes. She acknowledged residents' frustrations and emphasized the need for better communication. Jones also mentioned her administration has since worked with urban planning officials to prioritize plowing smaller residential streets to help children get to school and noted the city acquired four new trucks to improve service on non-arterial roads.
Spencer emphasized that the city must be ready to adapt to changing weather patterns, especially with climate change increasing unpredictable snow events. She proposed adding overtime for snow crews and ensuring around-the-clock monitoring. Spencer argued that execution failures in clearing snow and ice stem from Jones' administration and noted that alderpersons also struggled to get responses from the street department to address resident complaints.
On trash removal, Spencer advocated for modernizing the refuse department by installing tracking technology on trucks to monitor missed alleys. She stressed that if residents don't report complaints, their trash may not get picked up. Spencer argued for transparency in tracking trash removal services.
Jones acknowledged that the city is unable to contract private companies for trash collection due to prior administration decisions. She accused Spencer of misleading voters by using a private dumpster photo to criticize city services. Jones also defended existing efforts to improve services, stating a GPS system already tracks the movement of trash trucks.
Spencer quickly countered Jones' comments and noted that trash collection data should be made public. Jones responded that the same trash truck drivers who work for the city also attend Spencer's campaign events, implying a direct engagement with workers and once again labeling her opponent's comments as misleading.
After that, came a heated conversation on the city's jail services, during which the Workhouse Jail, the St. Louis Justice Center, and the removal of jail director Jennifer Clemmons-Abdullah were all addressed.
Jones defended the handling of jail leadership, and explained that proper disciplinary procedures had to be followed before replacing the previous director. She asserted that new leadership is already making improvements in detainee health and facility conditions.
Spencer criticized the closure of the Workhouse jail as one without a comprehensive plan, arguing that the remaining jail faced security issues, including malfunctioning locks. She then blamed Jones' administration for an increase in jail deaths, accusing her of preventing oversight boards and lawyers from monitoring conditions. She called conditions under Jones' leadership 'reprehensible.'
As Jones dismissed these claims, Spencer countered that the security locks at the Justice Center were not working until recently and reiterated that jail deaths have increased under Jones' tenure. Jones pushed back with the comment, 'Have you ever been in a jail?' marking one of the more tension-filled moments of the debate.
In the second viewer-submitted video question for the debate, a resident described St. Louis' business economy as being on 'life support' and asked candidates about their specific visions to revive it.
Spencer pointed to declining tax revenues and emphasized downtown's role in subsidizing the rest of the city. She called for stronger public safety measures and collaboration with big businesses, particularly along the riverfront, to attract investment.
Jones highlighted $2 billion in investments under her leadership, including the Millennium Hotel redevelopment. She accused Spencer of prioritizing corporate interests instead of advocating for housing development in north St. Louis to drive economic growth.
Spencer refuted the claim, citing her role in revitalizing Cherokee Street and noting that similar strategies could be applied to north St. Louis. She also touted the use of eminent domain to push for redevelopment efforts of key properties like the Railway Exchange building.
Jones countered that two-thirds of business revenue leaves the community and highlighted her efforts to revitalize MLK Drive as a step toward fostering local economic growth. She claimed that eminent domain cases, such as the Millennium Hotel, were delayed due to campaign contributors seeking higher payouts. Additionally, she accused Spencer of supporting legislation that weakened the city's earnings tax revenue.
As the debate shifted from a business exodus to a population exodus, it came to attention that the city fell below 280,000 residents, according to new Census figures released Thursday.
With this in mind, Jones proposed an economic justice plan aimed at expanding the tax base and focusing on revitalizing north St. Louis to attract residents. While she acknowledged that population loss has continued, she argued the rate of decline has slowed compared to previous years.
Spencer pushed back on Jones' population claim, stating that St. Louis is losing residents faster now than at any point in her lifetime. She blamed the population loss on failing basic city services and a breakdown in public trust, claiming the situation is getting 'monstrously worse.'
This led to a broader discussion on affordable housing initiatives, during which Jones promoted expanding the Home STL program, which provides $50,000 in down payment assistance to St. Louis homebuyers. She set a goal of building 10,000 affordable housing units by 2030 and claimed the city is already on track to meet this target.
Spencer agreed on the need for home ownership improvements, but criticized the city for failing to fully staff the Affordable Housing Commission, which she says is currently operating at less than half capacity. She called for stronger staffing of the department and better resource allocation to improve housing programs.
The General Municipal Election for the St. Louis mayor's race between Tishaura Jones and Cara Spencer is April 8.
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