Pole-mounted transformers are stored behind a fence at Kirkwood Electric’s Van Buren substation on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2026. Upgrades to the Van Buren substation and other improvements to the city’s high voltage transmission infrastructure and installing smart meters, are listed on a Kirkwood Electric webpage where they explain the need for a rate increase.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
New subscriber benefit!
Copied to clipboard
Out of gifts for the month
Unfortunately you've used all of your gifts this month. Your counter will reset on the first day of next month.
KIRKWOOD — Last year, when officials discovered that the city's electric department had blown a hole in its budget and inflicted financial turmoil citywide, they set out to uncover what happened.
A child bikes past blocked-off damage to Elmtree Lane on Friday, July 10, 2026, in Kirkwood. In 2024, Kirkwood offficials identified 133 segments of streets that would need to be fixed by 2029. Public services director Chris Krueger said the city will only have finished fixing 20 of them by later this summer.
A Kirkwood public works building on 212 S. Taylor Ave. is seen on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. The building currently houses the city’s electric, water and sanitation departments.
In a closed meeting, the Webster Groves City Council voted to hire a consultant and begin the search for a new city manager.
Pole-mounted transformers are stored behind a fence at Kirkwood Electric’s Van Buren substation on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2026. Upgrades to the Van Buren substation and other improvements to the city’s high voltage transmission infrastructure and installing smart meters, are listed on a Kirkwood Electric webpage where they explain the need for a rate increase.
A Kirkwood public works building on 212 S. Taylor Ave. is seen on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. The building currently houses the city’s electric, water and sanitation departments.
A child bikes past blocked-off damage to Elmtree Lane on Friday, July 10, 2026, in Kirkwood. In 2024, Kirkwood offficials identified 133 segments of streets that would need to be fixed by 2029. Public services director Chris Krueger said the city will only have finished fixing 20 of them by later this summer.
