Clay Chastain's latest light rail proposals will go to the voters in November as the Missouri Supreme Court ordered, but not in a form voters would easily recognize.
The city council is taking advantage of a loophole in the court order that allows them not to mention a plan or even “light rail.” Instead, one tax initiative is listed as for “capital improvements” and the other for “public transportation.”
Councilman John Sharp questioned whether that was fair to people signed the petitions, but Mayor Sly James said Chastain and his attorneys had ample opportunity to negotiate.
“What they chose to do was to call council people and harass them, threaten to recall all of us – and all of the time spent on that time spent on all of that could have been used on trying to reach some kind of a compromise, but I didn't hear it,” James said.
Chastain said it was time for the city to "be honest" and honor the intent of 4,000 voters who signed his petitions.
If one or both Chastain tax measures should pass in November, the council could spend the money as its members see fit.
