News & Press

ST. LOUIS — Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez of St. Louis’s 6th Ward has been named one of nine American leaders selected for the prestigious 2025 Eisenhower Fellowships USA Program.

St. Louis County Councilman Mark Harder and Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez discuss their respective efforts to bring a manager to their respective governments.

The dream of shifting control of city services from the mayor to an unelected, professional city manager is still alive, says Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez. She organized a “tele town hall” last Thursday evening to discuss the idea—one that she hopes will be put to voters as a proposed charter amendment on the August 2026 ballot.

"It's an opportunity for us to have a real, robust discussion," said Velazquez on The Chris and Amy Show. "I think people conceptually get it, but it's a chance for us to dive into a deeper conversation."

Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez talks about the city manager proposal on the Dave Glover Show.

Adding a city manager would create continuity and efficiency for city management and residents year after year – no matter who is elected. And elected officials will have the resources they need because of a more seamless government. 

St. Louis faces persistent challenges: a declining population, economic disparities, and inefficiencies in service delivery. The recent botched snow removal highlights the urgent need for better city operations. Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez’s proposal for a city manager offers a bold, practical solution to professionalize governance and enhance service delivery.

"If you think about it, the city is a $1.2 billion organization. At most $1.2 billion businesses, you have a position of a COO and a operations department and that's what they're tasked with. Why shouldn't we look at the city any other way?"

The city of St. Louis is running the government like it's trying to send text messages on an old-school flip phone. Sure, it can be done, but there are certainly better ways to do it.

Separating political considerations from city operations can have a dramatic impact on both governmental efficiency and governmental ethics. One study out of the University of North Carolina found that cities with professional administrators were 57% less likely than traditional system to have corruption convictions in city government.

Many cities across the country have a form of government where there's a city manager or a city administrator who’s in charge of the day-to-day operations of the city. A local alderwoman wants to see that in St. Louis.