Lawmaker explains proposal to merge St. Louis City and County

ST. LOUIS - A Missouri lawmaker’s new proposal could set the stage for merging the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County into a single governing entity.

Missouri State Rep. Ian Mackey, D-Richmond Heights, has introduced House Joint Resolution No. 27, which proposes consolidating the city and county into the “Metropolitan City of St. Louis.”

The proposal aims to streamline governance, enhance service delivery, and reduce redundancy across the St. Louis region.

“This is a big idea, a controversial idea, but it’s one that our region really needs,” Mackey told FOX 2 Friday.

Mackey argues a merger would greatly benefit frequently visited public areas, such as Washington Avenue and the Delmar Loop. The Delmar Loop, in particular, falls in both the city and the county.

“Think of the investment that we could have in a place like that,” he said. “As a city of 1.3 million people pulling our resources and creating districts that are enjoyable, that are safe, that are walkable. And that are, you know, like a city!”

And that's Mackey's big concern—that St. Louis is lacking a "city feel" as it hasn't been attracting enough new residents and businesses, as well as losing younger residents.

He thinks more food traffic and public safety could change that.

"Yeah, crime is a huge issue. But really, it's our response to crime. Because we're all in multiple different jurisdictions, handling it in a number of different ways rather than having one cohesive plan," Mackey added.

If approved in Missouri’s upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 8, the resolution would give voters an opportunity to decide whether to approve the merger, either in the November 2026 general election or a future state-approved special election.

Spokespeople for the city and county provided FOX 2 with the exact same statement in response to Mackey’s plan. Both said they work closely with each other and see "no need to consolidate when strong partnerships are already in place."

The legislation follows a significant 2019 initiative from local advocacy group Better Together to merge city and county governments. The effort ultimately faltered due to widespread criticism of over a statewide voting provision and backlash over plans to appoint the first mayor of the merger.

St. Louis City and St. Louis County have been split governing entities since 1876, and local historians oftentimes refer to the decision that authorized the split as “The Great Divorce.”