ST. LOUIS — Mayoral candidates Cara Spencer and Tishaura Jones clashed in a debate Tuesday night over transparency and who is more closely tied to old-style politics at City Hall.
Spencer, the 20th Ward alderman, complained about a lack of competitive bidding for various contracts issued in the city treasurer’s office led by Jones that were cited in a state audit last year.
“My opponent has a track record of issuing no-bid contracts,†Spencer said in the debate held in the Grand Center studios of KETC (Channel 9).
“I will ensure that we have an open auditing process†for the way the city will spend the $517 million in federal stimulus funds officials expect to receive.
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Jones, in response, noted that the same audit by State Auditor Nicole Galloway gave her office the second highest available rating of “good.â€
She also took a shot at the Spencer campaign’s recent failure to report about $13,000 in donations before the March 2 primary as required by state law. The 13 contributions were instead disclosed on reports submitted Monday.
“If she can’t report that, how can we trust her to spend $500 million?†Jones said.
Spencer, whose campaign manager said earlier in the day that the delay in reporting the donations was unintentional, called it “a small hiccup†in timing. She said it’s misleading to compare that to a failure to use a fair and open bidding process.
“Just because it’s legal, treasurer, does not mean it’s right,†Spencer said of not using competitive bidding.
The 13 Spencer donations were received by her campaign after Feb. 18, the cutoff date for the final regular pre-primary campaign finance report.
Under state law, they were supposed to be listed in supplemental reports between then and the primary.
Jones also hit Spencer for accepting a campaign donation from the city firefighters union after she voted at the Board of Aldermen for a union-sought pension governance change that eventually was vetoed by Mayor Lyda Krewson.
“We should ask the alderwoman why the firefighters want her to be mayor so bad,†Jones said.
Spencer denied that the donation was a “quid pro quo†and defended supporting “our first responders.â€
Shortly thereafter, Spencer complained about some of Jones’ donors, saying they include “all of the old cronies whose names we know.â€
“We’re talking about the McKees, the Rainfords and those who have been trying to privatize our airport,†Spencer said.
She did not elaborate in the debate.
Later, campaign spokeswoman Stephanie McArthur said in an interview that Spencer was referring to recent donations to a pro-Jones political committee from Joe McKee, president of Paric Corp. and the son of influential developer Paul McKee, and Jeff Rainford, a former aide to then-Mayor Francis Slay.
Rainford had represented one of the potential bidders for leasing ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Lambert International Airport during the city’s consideration of privatizing the facility that ended in late 2019.
McArthur also cited another Jones donor, LeJuan Strickland, whose company worked for the city's privatization study and later was hired to gather signatures in a petition drive by supporters to try to put the issue on the ballot last year.Â
Spencer and Jones both opposed leasing Lambert.
In response, Jones cited the support Spencer had received from former Mayor Vincent Schoemehl and former Aldermanic President James Shrewsbury, whom Jones called “the epitome of the old guard.â€
Jones added that “we can go back and forth, these people live in our communities, they are voters and they support the candidates they want to support.â€
The hourlong event, the second and final televised debate of the general-election campaign, was carried by Channel 9, KSDK (Channel 5) and radio station KWMU (90.7 FM). Another co-sponsor was the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ American.
In the debate, the candidates were asked questions by reporters and some sent in from the general public.
Updated at 11 p.m.
