This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Dec. 11, 2012 - When the St. Louis County Council gave final approval to the county’s 2013 budget on Tuesday, it followed a much different trajectory than a year ago.
This year’s process featured no grand bargains. It didn’t compel hundreds of people to attending a public hearing. And Gov. Jay Nixon stayed on the sidelines.
Indeed, the council ended up passing the various bills that encompass the county's 2013 budget Tuesday night with virtually no opposition. And St. Louis County budget director Paul Kreidler told the Beacon that the plan that St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley pitched in November would receive only technical changes.
Among other things, the 2013 budget provides 2.5 percent boost in pay to county employees. That’s the first increase since 2008, the year that the county had to scale back on a number of fronts due to the economic recession. Dooley also proposed appropriating about $22.9 million for the Department of Parks and Recreation, a 0.1 percent increase from 2012’s adjusted budget.
The budget also includes about $650,000 to demolish vacant buildings in unincorporated areas of the county; $1.5 million to the St. Louis County Police Department for vehicle and equipment repair; and about $434,000 to address facility maintenance. It also includes about $310,100 to “expand centralized cashiering to the South County satellite office to improve customer service.”
Last year, Dooley came under immense public criticism after proposing making deep cuts to the county's parks system. Although he changed course after the council threatened to defeat his budget, Dooley still made reductions to staff and services.
While St. Louis County residents flooded the council chambers last year during the parks controversy, this year’s public hearing for the budget had no speakers.
After Tuesday’s meeting, Dooley said he was “excited” that the county got a “good budget.” He attributed to the easier budgetary path to a better economy and making moves last year “that were unpleasant that made things a little bit easier this year.”
But he said county residents need to be prepared for a big discussion about the future of the parks system.
"We're going to have to figure this out. We can't restrict ourselves for the parks," Dooley said. "We want the parks to be all they can be. We have professional people in place looking for every opportunity to move this county forward. To make a difference."
