How to File a Public Records Request: FOIA and State Laws
How to file a public records request: federal FOIA vs. state laws, finding the records officer, a sample request letter, fees, deadlines, appeals, and MuckRock.
St. Louis is the 80th largest city in the United States with about 278,144 residents. Here is who governs it, when they meet in public, and where the agendas are posted.
St. Louis is independent of any county; the board was cut to 14 ward aldermen plus a president under a 2012 charter amendment effective in 2023.
| Body | What it decides | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Aldermen | Ordinances, the city budget, zoning changes, contracts, police and fire funding | Official page |
| St. Louis Public Schools board | School budget, boundaries, calendar, curriculum adoption, superintendent | District website |
| St. Louis Planning Commission | Rezonings, site plans, variances and long-range land use recommendations | City website |
Full Board meetings are held Fridays at 10 a.m. in the Board of Aldermen Chamber at City Hall Always confirm the date and location on the official agenda before you attend, because meetings can be cancelled, moved or continued.
The main information line is 314-622-4800 (Citizens' Service Bureau). City Hall is at 1200 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63103, and the official website is https://www.stlouis-mo.gov.
Find the agenda for the meeting, check the sign-up deadline (many cities close the list before the meeting starts), prepare remarks for the posted time limit — usually two or three minutes — and state your name, your district and your specific ask.
No debates for St. Louis yet. If something is on the council agenda — a rezoning, a fee increase, a transit change — open the first debate and invite both sides.
How to file a public records request: federal FOIA vs. state laws, finding the records officer, a sample request letter, fees, deadlines, appeals, and MuckRock.
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