Mayor Ken Shearin has long asked for help with the city's unfunded sewer mandate.

So imagine his surprise Monday when Gov. Jay Nixon kicked off a $266 million infrastructure initiative and St. Joseph wasn't slated to receive a dime.

The governor's office provided a list of 52 communities that will receive funding as part of the Work Now initiative to jump start construction on infrastructure projects related to wastewater and drinking water. The program includes $146 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - commonly referred to as the federal stimulus - and $120 million in state funds.

The mayor, council members and city employees expressed confusion at how St. Joseph's $450 million combined sewer overflow problem could go unnoticed. The state's other two cities with overflow problems, St. Louis and Kansas City, received $10.9 million and $23.9 million, respectively.

Mr. Shearin's first reaction was to wonder if the city was at fault.

"If you want to know the truth, I felt guilty not knowing that money was available," he said. "However, the mayor and council are not the ones that should be aware of that money."

City Manager Vince Capell said staff had filed two rounds of federal stimulus requests worth an estimated $30 million with federal and state legislators, as he expected much of the federal money to go through the state. The city's sewer needs also have featured prominently in lobbying trips to Washington and Jefferson City.

"At this point, after all we've done to communicate with everyone, I am stunned that St. Joseph is not named among these cities awarded funding," Mr. Capell said.

The mayor, former Deputy Mayor Mike Hirter, Public Works Director Bruce Woody and Col. Stephen Cotter, former commander of the 139th Airlift Wing, visited Jefferson City in the spring to request funds to upgrade the city's sewer and levee systems. At the time, Mr. Shearin said he was optimistic lawmakers would help St. Joseph with its expensive problems.

The city may have time to make another pitch to legislators. The governor's current list of communities that will receive funds leaves nearly $23 million unallocated.

"When this vacation (Veterans Day) is over, I will dust off that presentation from our last trip to Jefferson City and outline the cost of what the Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri Department of Natural Resources wants us to do," Mr. Shearin said. "I intend to write up a letter, and you can bet that I'll ask for an audience instead of mailing it."

Clinton Thomas can be reached

at clintonthomas@npgco.com.