ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – St. Louis County Executive Sam Page signed a bill designating funds for redevelopment at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, praised county employees, took a swipe at Proposition B, and unveiled a new county flag during his State of the County Address.
During Tuesday’s speech at UMSL’s Touhill Performing Arts Center, Page spoke about the ongoing campus redevelopment plan, signing a bill to use unspent federal ARPA dollars to make a major investment.
The county executive took time in his speech to highlight the work of county employees who have gone above and beyond serving the state’s largest county. He addressed the ongoing battle over Proposition B, which would allow the county council to fire department heads and the county counselor with five out of seven votes.
Finally, Page invited local artists José Garza and Hayveyah McGowan to the stage to debut the new county flag. Garza and McGowan, both in residency with the Kranzberg Art Foundation, designed the flag following workshops last summer to generate ideas.
The new flag features a sideways fleur-de-lis in a nod to the region’s French roots. Page said the flag’s navy-blue backdrop symbolizes the region’s waterways, the white fleur-de-lis represents unity and hope, and a red outline on the flower reflects “the vibrant transformation underway in St. Louis County.”
This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. All facts from this article were gathered by KTVI journalists. It has been edited and approved by KTVI staff.