ST. LOUIS COUNTY 鈥 Democratic voters in north 50度灰视频 County might feel some d茅j脿 vu when they cast their ballots in the County Council primary elections next month.
Two names on the Aug. 6 District 4 ballot also appeared on the primary ballot in 2020.
Rochelle Walton Gray, a former councilwoman and state legislator from Black Jack, seeks to unseat Councilwoman Shalonda Webb of unincorporated North County. After a term on the council, Gray lost decisively to Webb in the 2020 primary. A third candidate in that race, Mark Behlmann, came in last.
Both Gray and Webb say they鈥檝e served the county well. And they鈥檙e trying to prove it to voters.
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Gray, 59, said she wants to finish what she started in her term on the council. She worked on plans to demolish the crumbling former Jamestown Mall. And she helped initiate the 50度灰视频 Zoo WildCare Park, a safari park in North County. She helped secure grants for improvements in North County, such as for roads and crime reduction.
鈥淭here were a lot of things I was working on, and I want to be able to continue with them,鈥 Gray said.
But several crises got in her way during her term, she said. Former County Executive Steve Stenger resigned amid a corruption scandal, putting a halt to work on Jamestown Mall. And the COVID-19 pandemic made any government progress next to impossible.
鈥淚 really hate that I couldn鈥檛 get a lot through,鈥 Gray said.
Webb, 48, said her term鈥檚 record speaks for itself. She helped get the demolition of Jamestown Mall across the finish line. She has blocked new liquor licenses in North County, and she passed a measure to ban children from openly carrying guns. She also helped establish the first community-wide North County Juneteenth celebrations.
鈥淲e both have served in this position for the same amount of time,鈥 Webb said. 鈥淚f you compare what I accomplished to what she has not accomplished, it鈥檚 not even close.鈥
Both candidates have political families.
Gray, who is married to Rep. Alan Gray, D-Black Jack, is the daughter of longtime politico and former state Rep. Elbert Walton Jr. Her sister is Sen. Angela Mosley, D-Florissant, the wife of Rep. Jay Mosley, D-Florissant. The Mosleys鈥 daughters Janay and Chanel Mosley 鈥 Gray鈥檚 nieces 鈥 are Democratic candidates for the Missouri House, hoping to succeed Alan Gray and Jay Mosley, who are both leaving the Legislature because of term limits.
As for Webb, she鈥檚 married to former state Rep. Steven Webb, who resigned from the House in 2013 after he was accused of misusing money donated to the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus.
A key difference between the candidates鈥 time on the council is their relationship with County Executive Sam Page.
Gray was serving as a councilwoman when Page took office in 2019 following Stenger鈥檚 resignation. Shortly after she left elected office in January 2021, Page hired Gray to a newly created role as a COVID-19 vaccine outreach coordinator in the public health department. She lost that job after voters approved a county charter amendment in 2022 requiring political appointees to be listed under the county executive鈥檚 budget.
Page has also supported Gray鈥檚 campaign.
But she said this week just because Page gave her a job before doesn鈥檛 mean she would automatically fall in line with his policies, if she were elected.
鈥淥f course I鈥檓 going to have conversations and I will have to do what鈥檚 best for the area that I represent,鈥 Gray said. 鈥淭hat being the case, personal agendas can鈥檛 get involved on either side. We have to determine through research, through studies and through discussions with our constituents and everyone meeting at the table to find out what鈥檚 best for the entire community.鈥
Webb has had a prickly relationship with Page. They鈥檝e disagreed over spending federal pandemic relief money and over how to solve the county鈥檚 budget deficit. It has delayed several issues this year 鈥 including enacting a senior property tax freeze program and the need to bring the county government building up to fire code.
Webb said there鈥檚 always room for improvement in a relationship, and she hopes she and the county executive can improve. But she said she won鈥檛 be a rubber-stamp for his policies.
鈥淚f anybody doesn鈥檛 question anything, that should bring concern,鈥 Webb said.
Gray says she would have done things differently than Webb on the council. She wouldn鈥檛 have voted for a budget that reduced the health department鈥檚 budget request by $8.2 million. And she would have voted for the senior property tax freeze the first time it came before the council.
Webb said the council decided to reduce the budget to address a $27 million deficit, and they based the cuts on actual spending from the previous year 鈥 which is often less than the budgeted amount.
Webb voted for the senior property tax freeze when it came to the council a second time last year with adjustments meant to ensure luxury homes didn鈥檛 qualify for the break.
But the program hasn鈥檛 been enacted yet, Gray pointed out.
鈥淢y goal is to get that implemented,鈥 Gray said.
Webb said the council has done its part 鈥 allocating money to the county revenue department to hire people and buy software. But the office has yet to do either of those things.
鈥淲e have funded it, and we will implement it,鈥 Webb said.
Two other candidates are running in District 4. Republican Rhonda Linders, of Spanish Lake, and Libertarian Theo Brown, of unincorporated North County, are unopposed in their party primaries, and will appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.