Civil Service Commission - September 17, 2026

The City of St. Louis Civil Service Commission held a meeting on September 17, 2026, primarily to discuss a proposed ordinance (Board Bill 67) to establish a new pay grade (231) for the Director of Airports position. The discussion focused on the need to modernize the compensation structure to align with national market rates for airport executives, which can range from $300,000 to over $500,000 annually, reflecting the complexity and scale of the St. Louis Lambert Airport and its upcoming $3 billion terminal redevelopment project. The proposed pay grade would significantly increase the salary range from approximately $139,000-$228,000 to $400,000-$650,000, funded through the airport's self-sustaining enterprise funds rather than city tax dollars. The commission also addressed procedural concerns about the premature public attribution of a recommendation to the commission before any official vote or consultation had occurred. Additionally, the commission approved the creation of a new Airport Operations Manager classification to improve operational oversight and emergency management coordination at the airport. The commission voted to continue consideration of the airport director pay grade proposal to a future meeting pending receipt of additional benchmarking data and information by September 28, 2026.