STLPR reports:

A St. Louis County grand jury on Wednesday indicted County Executive Sam Page on charges involving the use of public money to campaign against Proposition B ahead of the April election.

The measure would have allowed the St. Louis County Council to fire certain department heads with five of seven votes. Six of the council’s seven members are generally combative with Page.

The county sent out a mailer in the weeks leading up to the election outlining consequences of the issue. The front of the mailer listed groups that opposed Proposition B and included wording from a court ruling ordering a change in the language appearing on the ballot. The “paid for” line said St. Louis County.

…

State law forbids any elected official to spend public funds to campaign for or against a ballot measure. Page faces two misdemeanor election offenses and two counts of felony theft “by deceit” over the spending of county money.

Page has said the mailer was informational only and did not advocate a position.