28% DECREASE IN PARKING TICKETS, RECORD $1.7MM SENT TO GENERAL REVENUE

A Message From Tishaura Jones, Running For Re-Election
St. Louis City Treasurer… A Progressive With A Track Record

In the coming days and months, we look forward to talking about how we have improved and transformed the Treasurer’s Office since we took office. We sincerely believe the Treasurer’s Office has shown that you can both improve government services and invest in all St. Louisans. Reforms implemented by my office have dramatically increased parking revenues while reducing the number of parking tickets written per year by 28% or 80,000. This year, our Office is contributing a record $1.7 million to the City’s General Fund, which represents a 237% increase from our first year in Office. Our office has also made over $25 million by actively managing city investments.

Economic Development for our office isn’t just about investing in parking or financial returns, but also helping all St. Louisans to reach their full potential. We have invested in the next generation of Saint Louisians through financial empowerment for students and their families. Our office has implemented several of the calls to action from the Forward through Ferguson Report by paying a living wage to our staff and will continue to be at the forefront of these progressive movements.

We are proud of improving parking and bringing financial empowerment to St. Louis City government, but there is more work to be done. We want to continue to make parking more efficient and less predatory for St. Louisans. We also know that far too many St. Louisians are not reaching their full potential because they cannot access banks or build wealth. We will work to expand our Office of Financial Empowerment to allow more residents to fulfill their dreams of sending their kids to college, buying homes, or starting small businesses that improve their communities.

​We are happy to share the following report with you. We will continue to do the work in our office and hope to count on your support.

TREASURER’S REPORT: 28% DECREASE IN PARKING TICKETS, RECORD $1.7MM SENT TO GENERAL REVENUE

FY2019 report shows parking service improvements, more revenue for the city.

St. Louis—Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones has released her office’s annual report on parking, revealing a 28% decrease in parking tickets since implementing reforms, and a record level of revenue transferred to the city’s General Revenue Fund last year.

“I’m proud that improving service has led to 300,000 fewer parking tickets, and more money for city services. This makes St. Louis a better place to live, work, and play,” said Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones. “I work hard to serve the people of St. Louis every day, and you can see it in our results—not just from the last year, but from the last seven years since we began making changes.”

Report findings include the following:

1. Parking tickets decreased 28%, or 330,000 fewer tickets over six years, by upgrading meters that make it more convenient for St. Louisans to pay for parking by card, cash, or smartphone app. Treasurer Jones also eliminated ticket quotas that were in place previously. The number of tickets issued was 358,007 in 2012. In 2018 it was 279,183 tickets. (See Page 10 of the report.)

2. Record $1.7 million transferred from parking revenue to the General Revenue Fund due to improved service. Treasurer Jones has a policy of transferring the legal maximum every year.

3. Returned $8 million to Saint Louis Public Schools and $17 million to all public funds by reforming the parking-related Argyle Tax Increment Financing district with Alderwoman Heather Navarro and Comptroller Darlene Green through Board Bill 226.

4. Raised the minimum wage for parking workers to $15 per hour in 2019 to attract and retain employees, help families, and decrease poverty, a recommendation of the Ferguson Commission.

The Treasurer’s Office Annual Report is available at www.stltreasurer.org/annual- report/.