Winston Calvert is no longer St. Louis鈥� city counselor.
Up until earlier this week, Calvert was in charge of 37 attorneys who handled the city鈥檚 legal business. But after some rumblings on social media, Calvert confirmed to 漏 2024 外网天堂 in several text messages that he had left St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay鈥檚 administration.
鈥淭here are things I want to do that I can鈥檛 do as city counselor, so I鈥檓 stepping back,鈥� Calvert said. 鈥淚 am extraordinarily grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Mayor Slay and (his chief of staff Mary Ellen Ponder) on issues facing our city, from marriage equality to reforming the city鈥檚 business laws.
鈥淚 will continue to work on improving the city鈥檚 future in my next chapter,鈥� he added.
Slay鈥檚 office subsequently announced that deputy city counselor Michael Garvin would be stepping into the city counselor position on an interim basis. A former newspaper reporter, Garvin has spent time both in the city counselor鈥檚 office and in private practice since he graduated from the Washington University School of Law in 1989. He was acting city counselor prior to Calvert鈥檚 appointment.
The mayor鈥檚 office also announced Nancy Kistler, who has worked for the city counselor鈥檚 office since 2006, will step in as deputy city counselor.
The press release announcing Garvin鈥檚 appointment didn鈥檛 specify why Calvert had abruptly left his position. When asked why Calvert had department, Slay spokeswoman Maggie Crane replied: 鈥淲inston resigned.鈥�
After being appointed to his post in the middle of 2014, Calvert was at the center of high-profile and controversial litigation for the city.
He . That move was
Calvert was also tasked with defending city ordinances and Both of those ordinances were invalidated, although Slay鈥檚 administration is appealing the minimum wage decision. (The , which came after )
