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PRESS RELEASE: AG Koster broadens Macks Creek Law investigation

Attorney General’s News Release

January 22, 2015

AG Koster broadens Macks Creek Law investigation

St. Louis, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster announced today that four new defendants have been added to the lawsuit his office filed against 13 St. Louis County municipalities on December 18, 2014, for alleged violations of the Macks Creek Law:

  • The village of Hanley Hills and the city of Kinloch failed to submit annual financial reports to the state auditor by their deadline of December 31, 2014.
  • Velda City and the village of Calverton Park filed their annual financial reports on time, but Calverton Park’s report showed 41% of its general operating revenue came from traffic fines, and Velda City calculated its percentage incorrectly.

“I promised when I filed this lawsuit in December of last year that my office was going to be vigilant in our enforcement of this law,” said Koster. “The days of casual compliance are over.”

Of the 13 municipalities named in the original petition, six have come into compliance with the Macks Creek Law since the suit was filed.  Koster has voluntarily dismissed the villages of Mackenzie and Pasadena Park, and the cities of Beverly Hills, Breckenridge Hills, Crystal Lake Park, and Pagedale from the amended petition.

Two municipalities whose annual financial reports were due at year’s end reported more than 30 percent of their annual general operating revenue came from traffic-related fines and costs. In compliance with the Macks Creek Law, the city of Bella Villa remitted $139,995 in excess fines to the director of revenue, and the city of Pine Lawn remitted $91,721. By statute, those funds will be distributed among the school districts in St. Louis County.

“In St. Louis County, six of the municipalities sued are now in compliance with the law, and two others have paid the state for exceeding the cap,” said Koster. “Our efforts to hold local governments accountable are clearly making a difference, and we will continue to press for full compliance.”