St. Louis County Residents Weigh In on Unification Proposal

County Executive Sam Page's plan to merge the city and county draws mixed reactions from the public.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 12:05am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A serene, photorealistic painting depicting a government building or civic structure in soft, warm lighting, conveying a sense of contemplation and uncertainty about the future of local politics.As St. Louis County residents debate the merits of a potential city-county unification, the proposal raises questions about the future of local governance and public services.St. Louis Today

Hundreds of St. Louis County residents have responded to County Executive Sam Page's proposal to unify the city and county governments. While some residents expressed interest in the idea, many said they want more details on what a merger would look like. Public safety and basic services like road maintenance were top concerns raised in the feedback.

Why it matters

The proposal to unify the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County governments has been discussed for years, but Page's recent push to start a public dialogue on the issue comes as he faces an ethics investigation and a felony case. Critics have accused Page of using the merger proposal as a distraction, but he says the restructuring is important and he wants to hear from residents before his term ends in nine months.

The details

Page opened a website to collect public feedback on the proposal, which he says has received around 200 responses so far. Most residents say they want more information on what a merger or the city re-entering the county would entail. While some have expressed excitement, others are concerned about big changes to the region's government structure. The top issues raised are public safety, with calls for faster emergency response times and shared dispatching, as well as basic services like road maintenance.

  • Page announced the proposal a couple weeks ago.
  • The public survey will be available on the St. Louis County website for a few more weeks.

The players

Sam Page

The St. Louis County Executive who proposed the idea of the City of St. Louis re-entering the county as the largest municipality.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We opened up a website to allow people to comment, and we've gotten some feedback. We've gotten a lot of feedback about what that might look like. And most of the folks are telling us that they want to hear more.”

— Sam Page, St. Louis County Executive

“Folks that are concerned about big change. They're concerned about understanding. I would say the biggest concern is, tell us more. What are you thinking? I've seen a lot of excitement, I've seen a lot of interest in different ideas. People are telling us public safety is their number one goal.”

— Sam Page, St. Louis County Executive

What’s next

Page said he is moving forward with the proposal despite facing an ethics investigation and a felony case, as he only has nine months left in office. The public survey will be available for a few more weeks to gather additional feedback from residents.

The takeaway

Page's proposal to unify the city and county governments has drawn a mixed response from residents, with many calling for more details on what a merger would entail. While some see potential benefits in eliminating redundancies, others are concerned about the scale of change. The top priorities expressed by the public so far are improving public safety and basic services like road maintenance.