In this episode we speak with Scott Ogilvie, 24th Ward alderman in the City of St. Louis. Twice elected from the neighborhoods south of Forest Park, Scott has become known for asking difficult policy questions of the city and his colleagues, while pushing for political reform and good governance.

Ogilvie has won support and earned critics by being one of the few alderman with an outspoken vision for the city as a whole. We speak to Scott about the upcoming every-five-years challenge at the ballot box to the city’s 1% earnings tax, the failed effort to keep the NFL Rams in St. Louis, and much more. You can find Scott on Twitter @ward24stl and check out his website at ward24stl.com.

nextSTL began as the St. Louis Urban Workshop in 2009. Since then, the site has continued to incorporate more voices across more platforms to tell the story, past, present, & future, of St. Louis. Now it’s time to launch the Future Great City podcast.

In this episode we speak with Jeff Rainford, an independent public policy consultant who is best known for his 14 years as chief of staff to four-term City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.

Described by friends and foes alike as fierce and effective, he was instrumental in returning control of the city’s police department to the city for the first time since the Civil War. He was also the city’s point person on the ultimately unsuccessful effort to keep the NFL Rams in St. Louis, and worked hard on keeping the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in the city. St. Louis will find April 1 if that effort is successful.

Rainford is a native St. Louisan, growing up in Webster Groves. He worked as reporter for KMOX radio and KMOV-TV before joining the mayor’s staff.

*audio was set incorrectly for this recording – thanks for listening to a little echo

nextSTL began as the St. Louis Urban Workshop in 2009. Since then, the site has continued to incorporate more voices across more platforms to tell the story, past, present, & future, of St. Louis. Now it’s time to launch the Future Great City podcast.