St. Louis County Government

From WikiLou

Structure

Executive power of the county is vested in the county executive, which is a full-time salaried position. The current county executive (as of March 2006) is Charlie Dooley. The county executive's term is 4 years, and the position is elected by the general population of the county.

Ordinances are passed by a county council. The council is made up of 7 members, each from a separate district within the county. Council member terms are 4 years, beginning on January 1 following the election. The current Chairman of the Council is Kurt S. Odenwald.

Elections

Elections are held in even-numbered years, with terms for even- and odd-numbered districts staggered.

History

St. Louis County was the first Missouri County to adopt a home-rule charter under the Missouri constitution, in 1950. The current St. Louis County Charter was adopted by the voters on November 6, 1979.