St. Louis City committee sets Oct. 1 as annual start for Board staff evaluations

The Board of Aldermen Personnel & Administration Committee voted Jan. 9 to set Oct. 1 as the annual start date for employee evaluations for all Board staff and legislative assistants.

The committee adopted the date after hearing staff proposals for standardizing review timing to boost compliance and better align evaluations with staffing changes. "So I moved that we update our performance review time period to reflect for all staff and board of aldermen, a review period starting in October," an alderman from the transcript said when moving the change; the motion was seconded and approved after members signaled their assent.

Director Gracia told the committee she had been asked to draft an updated message to alderpersons and legislative assistants about performance evaluations and noted supervisory training had previously been encouraged but not required. "I was asked to create an updated message to send out," Director Gracia said, adding staff could remove supervisory training from the draft if the committee preferred.

Committee members debated timing options. Vice Chair Cone and others argued a single, consistent date would improve compliance compared with staggered anniversary dates. Members discussed the effect on newly elected officials and legislative assistants who may be hired midcycle; the committee agreed a fall date would give newly elected officials time to make hires before the review window.

The committee also discussed moving to an online 360-degree review process to simplify the form and reduce burdens on evaluators. Alderwoman Boyd said the existing questionnaire was cumbersome: "It was kind of I I'll just follow-up," she said, noting she would meet with staff to walk through the evaluation. Staff said evaluations are filed with the clerk and that not every alderperson completed an evaluation of their legislative assistant last year, but all non-legislative staff had been reviewed.

Director Gracia said the committee will incorporate feedback and return with refinements for the next cycle. Director Ingrassia reported on leave records, saying only two legislative assistants logged vacation and medical time in 2025; she has requested 2023 and 2024 records from the clerk and will provide the additional information to the committee.

The committee did not tie a merit increase to the new date at the meeting; members noted timing may influence budgeting decisions and that any raises would depend on civil service commission and administration actions.

The committee adjourned after completing the agenda.