By the end of January 2019, Better Together St. Louis is scheduled to release their proposal to put the merger of St. Louis City and County on the 2020 ballot for a statewide Missouri vote.

On January 16, 219, D.J. Wilson, host of the KDHX podcast Collateral Damage, invited Byron Kerman and me to talk through the pros and cons of a City/County merger, in general. We also speculate on the motivations of the billionaire bankrolling this initiative as well as the entities who have already expressed their support. We may have unwittingly uncovered their primary intent.

Listen to this episode of Collateral Damage.

Once the Better Together STL proposal is released and the debates begin in local (and social) media and private conversations, it will be fascinating to hear the arguments and concerns, and what those who fall on either side have in common.

The consolidation of St. Louis City and County is a topic I’ll probably revisit at least once more in this space, and I look forward to the reasoned insights and equitable solutions this merger will inspire in the months to come.