Where I Stand
These aren’t party talking points — they’re real priorities from someone who lives here and walks these streets.
Support Small Business & Cut the Red Tape
St. Louis makes it too hard to run a business — especially the small ones that make this city special. Overregulation, slow permits, and fee stacking push out our entrepreneurs and hollow out our neighborhoods.
I’ll fight to:
Streamline permits and licensing
Kill junk fees
Simplify zoning rules
Make it easier to open, expand, and stay open
Let’s make it easier to own your hustle — not ask permission for it. It's YOUR art. It's YOUR bar. It's YOUR boutique. I want to keep you free to make it YOURS.
Safe Streets Without Overreach
Everyone deserves to feel safe. The state takeover of the STL Metro Police is happening, whether we like or not. We need local control and leadership that prioritizes safety and freedom from within.
That's why I’ll:
Propose that the governor appoint a couple current members of the STL Metro Police leadership to the Board of Police Commissioners he will be appointing
Work to increase patrol presence in nightlife zones & problem areas
Fight to increase the police budget to hire and retain QUALITY police for our city, and higher salaries
Fix broken infrastructure that makes streets feel unsafe
Demand transparency in police budgets and discipline
We can have public safety and civil liberties. We just need leaders who care about both.
Make Housing Affordable Again — by Getting Out of the Way
St. Louis doesn’t need more housing programs — it needs fewer roadblocks. The reason housing is unaffordable isn’t because we need more bureaucracy. It’s because the city has made it harder and more expensive to build, renovate, and own property.
I believe in removing the red tape that keeps affordable housing just out of reach — and protecting the people who already call this city home.
I’ll fight to:
Undo the remarkably senseless Short Term Rental Permit ordinance implemented by Tishaura Jones
Pressure the city to reconstruct the 3,000 homes destroyed by the tornado that the city owns.
Eliminate excessive permitting and zoning delays for small developers and homeowners
Prevent code enforcement from being weaponized to gentrify working-class residents out of their homes
Prioritize housing accessibility through freedom to build, not more centralized planning
The market can work — if the city gets out of the way.
Fix the Streets. Fix the System.
St. Louis City Streets Department — otherwise known to most as Spire Gas steel plates — needs to be reformed. Cracked sidewalks. Flooded alleys. Potholes that could swallow your golf cart. Sinkholes! One of the two purposes of government is to maintain fundamental infrastructure. This city can’t fix the basics — and that’s unacceptable.
I’ll fight to:
Audit the St. Louis City Streets Department
Push for public-facing repair tracking tools
Prioritize lighting, drainage, roads, and sidewalks over political projects
DEMAND performance contracts for city contractors
No more excuses. You pay taxes — you deserve results.
Don’t Blow the Bag — Spend the Rams Settlement Wisely
St. Louis just got a $500 million settlement from Stan Kroenke. The justice system actually prevailed...this time. That’s your money — not a slush fund for insiders. This is a chance to fix real problems. If we waste it, we’ll never get this chance again.
I’ll fight to:
Create a transparent, public budget for every dollar
Block vanity projects and park renovations. That should come from an alternative piggy bank
Invest in visible infrastructure and emergency reserves
Establish citizen oversight on how funds are used
Research ways to invest most of it so we can get this money to work for us in the future
Fiscal responsibility is paramount to rebuild this city. Don’t let the machine "fumble" this one.
Reform the Jail and Hold Our New Sheriff Accountable
The city jail has become a symbol of dysfunction — for guards, inmates, and taxpayers alike. It’s time to bring oversight, efficiency, and humanity back into how we handle justice.
I’ll fight to:
Push for external audits of jail operations and spending
Manufacture a solution to the staffing crisis
Support mental health and addiction services inside
Reduce pretrial detention for nonviolent offenders
Hold the state accountable to city values — especially after the police takeover
Refusing to take inmates to the hospital is absolutely unacceptable and simply appalling. Our new Sheriff must be held accountable
We can be smart, safe, and humane — all at once.
Education Is the Cornerstone of Community
Education is the cornerstone of every strong community. It’s how we pass down values, spark innovation, and give every young person a real shot at a better life. But in too many parts of St. Louis, our kids are being let down by outdated systems, inconsistent standards, and bureaucratic failure.
I will work to:
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Support education choice by backing families’ access to charter schools, hybrid programs, and flexible learning models
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Encourage STEM and trade partnerships between schools and local businesses to create hands-on career pipelines
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Advocate for transparency in school spending and outcomes, so taxpayers know where the money is going — and what it’s producing
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Expand community-based youth programs, including after-school clubs, mentorships, and apprenticeships
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Work with local leaders to improve school infrastructure and safety standards in Ward 8
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Promote programs that teach personal responsibility, civic pride, and entrepreneurship
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Treat the youth of St. Louis as our most sacred resource
Our kids deserve more than just classrooms. They deserve the tools, freedom, and support to become the next generation of builders, creators, and leaders.
Preserve Our Past, Protect Our Neighborhoods
St. Louis is one of America’s most historically rich cities — not just above ground, but beneath it. From the ornate brickwork of Lafayette Square to the brewery tunnels that run under Soulard and Benton Park, our architecture tells a story worth preserving.
I am committed to protecting the city’s legacy — not with burdensome bureaucracy, but with real partnerships. I fully advocate for the efforts of the St. Louis Brewery Cave Committee to discover, document, preserve, and share the city’s unique underground brewing heritage with the public.
As Alderman, I will:
Promote historically sensitive development that fits the character of our neighborhoods
Oppose high-density builds that threaten historic properties or drive out legacy residents
Collaborate with groups like the Brewery Cave Committee to expand awareness and preservation access
Respect the rights of homeowners, renters, and small businesses in preservation efforts
St. Louis doesn’t need to be remade — it needs to be respected. This city's past is this city's artful contribution. Let’s protect it.
Survival is the Priority
St. Louis is dying. It needs REAL answers, not rhetoric. I don't think people making decisions in the city are asking the right questions.
I’m not here to please the Democrats or Republicans. I’m here to serve this ward and the city of St. Louis. Stop voting for the "Yes Man." Stop voting for the same status quo that has done nothing to preserve this city for YEARS. Vote for social acceptance. Vote for fiscal responsibility. Vote for an objective critical thinker. Vote for the best decision maker who can handle arguments about extremely complex issues. Vote for me, Cam McCarty.