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ST. LOUIS — The board overseeing the city’s economic development arm on Thursday approved an additional $300,000 for a marketing firm’s contract despite questions from an alderwoman over its mounting costs.

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Development Corp., which manages development and tax incentives citywide, hired Kansas City-based Candid last year to lead its rebranding and oversee the agency’s marketing and public relations services as it rolls out its community improvement programs. Candid’s initial contract was worth $140,000, but a $685,000 amendment was approved in a closed board meeting late last year.

The amendment approved Thursday raises the total to $1.1 million. The latest funds will be used to provide marketing and public relations support for several SLDC programs like its Small Business Grants Program, SLDC Housing Development Pool and Economic Empowerment Center, SLDC staff said.

But Alderwoman Cara Spencer, citing reporting from the Post-Dispatch, said she wanted more information as to how the money from the contract was being spent, and questioned what presence Candid had in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ as it performed community outreach work.

“It’s just such a large, large, large amount of money,� said Spencer, who joined the board after her election in April to represent the Eighth Ward.

Board members have pushed back on the number of consultants SLDC has hired over the past two years. Still, former Alderwoman Marlene Davis defended Candid’s work when she was an SLDC board member, saying the firm has done better work than the agency could when it handled marketing itself. SLDC eliminated its inhouse marketing team in 2021 after Neal Richardson took over as executive director.

The money approved Thursday will use American Rescue Plan Act funds, which required SLDC to hire the lowest responsive bidder, said Lorna Alexander, SLDC’s vice president of programmatic compliance. Candid was one of five companies that responded to SLDC’s request for proposals. It, along with another firm whose name wasn’t disclosed, were the lowest bidders at $300,000. An internal SLDC committee ranked Candid as its top choice.

Staff then took Candid’s proposal to an award committee composed of a representative from the mayor’s office, Comptroller’s Office and President of the Board of Aldermen’s Office, which approved putting Candid’s amendment up for vote during SLDC’s Thursday board meeting.

Richardson praised Candid for helping SLDC improve SLDC’s marketing, branding and public relations and making the agency more nimble. He said SLDC has saved money by hiring an outside firm to do the work.

“Having Candid on board has allowed us to take our communications and marketing to a new level, not just on a social media perspective, but also in the community,� Richardson said.

A staff report said the money approved Thursday would go towards oversight and coordination, public relations, graphic design, copywriting and editing, website design and development, social media support, promotional items, banners and signage, photography and video production.

Candid’s marketing work has included handling questions from reporters, writing and editing press releases, buying local newspaper and billboard ads, and creating fliers for events like job fairs and neighborhood input sessions and posting them on social media channels. It’s previously filed invoices for promotional materials like insulated coffee mugs for an employee appreciation celebration and filming SLDC events like the unveiling of its Economic Justice Action Plan and the ribbon cutting of Northside Economic Empowerment Center.

Candid co-owners Becky and Sara Freetly said they’re licensed to do business in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ but don’t have a physical presence here. They often rely on video conferencing to conduct meetings.

They called the Post-Dispatch reporting on its contract misleading, saying that most of the money went towards buying ads and billboards, as well as video production and other work.

“We’re extremely transparent with everything that we do,� said Becky Freetly.

After Spencer questioned Candid, other board members raised concerns over how this latest round of money would be spent. The Freetlys said Candid did not yet have a breakdown of how the $300,000 would be spent but that said they would likely spend 70% and keep 30% for their fee.

Ultimately, the board approved the contract over concerns delaying a vote would hamper community outreach. Spencer abstained from the vote.

Jacob Barker of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.