ST. LOUIS - A final decision on how St. Louis allocates its share of Rams settlement funds still awaits as the St. Louis Board of Aldermen failed to advance plans during a Tuesday board meeting.

This follows a heated board meeting last Friday in which Board of Aldermen President Megan Green abruptly left and later accused an alderman of showing up drunk.

The city says nearly $300 million from its portion of the NFL Rams settlement funds is ready to be used, with one notable proposal introduced last December. However, debates and competing bills have stalled the process for nearly two months, and members of the Board of Aldermen still can’t agree on how to spend it.

Two competing bills, one prioritizing infrastructure projects and the other focusing on community investments, failed to gain enough support to move forward for mayoral review, currently leaving the funds in limbo.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said Tuesday these bills, Board Bill 131 and Board Bill 153, have been "moved to the informal calendar." A spokesperson from the mayor's office says this ends debate on the Rams settlement legislation, and both bills "are dead for this current BOA session."

The Board of Aldermen has one more meeting Friday before a municipal election break, though based on recent developments, it seems unlikely a decision will materialize by then. That means a plan will most likely not be approved before the April 8 St. Louis mayoral election.

Mayor Tishuara Jones offered the following statement after Tuesday's meeting:

"When we received the Rams Settlement funds, my initial recommendation was to hold on to the bulk of the funds and live off the interest due to the uncertainty of federal elections and how the economy would react.

For months, the Rams Settlement funds have been in an investment account gaining significant interest - about $26,101,958 over roughly 24 months.

After almost a year and a half of public input and months of debate and compromise among City leaders, the public, and other stakeholders, it’s clear that there are a number of projects and programs this money could have supported that would result directly in notable quality-of-life improvements for everyone in St. Louis. Despite my initial inclination to keep this money in accounts where they’ve been gaining interest, I was proud of the compromise legislation that was reached with Alds. Boyd and Sonnier, and I’m grateful to the members of my staff who helped broker that compromise. In the coming weeks, my office will provide guidance on the impact of the new presidential administration and the effects that Project 2025 will have on our community and our budget.

When cooler heads prevail, my hope is that the Board of Aldermen will bring a bill to my desk that directs these historic funds to benefit all of St. Louis in ways that our residents can see and feel. Until then, these funds will continue to grow."

Board President Megan Green offered the following statement:

"After more than a year of public engagement, extensive debate, and several iterations of multiple bills, the Board of Aldermen were unable to reach consensus on how to spend the Rams settlement funds."

"I want to acknowledge that this is part of the legislative process. Because a healthy democratic process encourages open communication, progress isn't always linear. That said, I am confident that conversations around the Rams settlement will continue in the coming days and weeks. If consensus is reached in the meantime, I am happy to call special meetings during the break to pass legislation that reflects residents' priorities."

"Every Alder, in some way, shape, or form, has influenced this legislation, and the gravity of the situation is not lost on any one of us. While we may disagree on other aspects, I am confident that the final bill will include critical funding for both water infrastructure and the Northside."

Nonprofit Greater St. Louis Inc. offered the following statement:

“St. Louis has pressing needs that require bold action and major investment. Today’s lack of action by the Board of Aldermen means those urgent needs continue to go unmet.

“Waiting doesn’t get St. Louis growing again, and we continue our call for the City to use Rams settlement funds to address depopulation in North St. Louis and revitalizing Downtown so that the City can expand its population and grow its tax base.

“We will continue our work to get St. Louis growing again and bring investment to disinvested neighborhoods and Downtown when the next session of the Board begins.”