With St. Louis at the cusp of its mayoral transition, Mayor-elect Cara Spencer is on a tight timeline to assume office. In what's been described as one of the quickest turnovers in the city's history, Spencer's team has been working "around the clock" to make sure that come next week's inauguration day, they will be ready to hit the ground running.
According to an interview with KSDK, Spencer stated that her team has already begun to quickly build relationships with key regional leaders. "Over the last couple days, we've met with the chiefs of the fire department, the police department, have had conversations with the governor, the county executive, and many other regional leaders to make sure that we're sharing visions, building an alignment here and really being able, being positioned to work to move forward together," Spencer said.
In her staffing decisions, Spencer has named Nancy Hawes as her chief of staff, Emily Thenhaus as deputy chief of staff, and Beverly Isom as communications director. These early appointments indicate Spencer’s focus on establishing a foundation for her administration, as reported by FOX 2. Moreover, as a gesture of continuity and cooperation, Spencer met with Mayor Jones and her staff, acknowledging that "It was generous of her team to sit down with us and share some things and we’re grateful for that opportunity."
During her campaign, Spencer pledged to work to build trust with the various communities within St. Louis, emphasizing the importance of transparency and inclusion in her upcoming tenure. "We’re really looking forward to making partnerships, new partnerships in particular, to build bridges and to build success across communities that haven’t necessarily seen success in the past," Spencer told FOX 2. She's also been proactive in addressing issues such as the fencing around city hall that was erected due to homeless encampments, signaling an intention to carefully develop a plan to deal with the situation in partnership with service providers.
Spencer acknowledged the support she received during her campaign, including significant donations from the business community. When questioned about the six-figure contribution from Clayco owner Bob Clark, she reassured the press that transparency would be central to her administration. "These are public dollars at hand, and I absolutely welcome that scrutiny," Spencer asserted in a statement obtained by First Alert 4. As she prepares to take her place on the Board of Estimate and Apportionment alongside Aldermanic President Megan Green and incoming Comptroller Donna Baringer, Spencer is set to play a crucial role in managing the city’s financial decisions.
