Blog

By Carol Arnett

Emotions are running high in Florissant after the city council passed a bill adopting the budget for fiscal year 2014.

After the city council passed the bill during the Nov. 25 meeting, Mayor Tom Schneider, who missed the meeting due to medical reasons, sent out a statement saying that he will return the budget bill unsigned—which he did. Schneider said that he was urging the council to restore funding for equipment that it cut from the final budget. The council then sent out its own statement outlining the reasons the equipment funding was cut.

At issue is approximately $500,000 worth of new equipment, including a salt truck, front-end loader, pick-up truck, FLERT bus, and some other vehicles. Schneider contends that the equipment is required to provide services to residents. “ I will not compromise the safety and efficiency of any of our departments including our essential Public Works Department without a fight for the tools they need to safely deliver the services our residents deserve,” Schneider said in his statement to the media and on the city’s web site.

The council letter disagrees, saying that the equipment does not need to be replaced yet. The council’s statement uses a salt/plow truck as an example. The statement notes that the new salt/plow truck would cost $138,000. It would replace a truck with less than 11,000 miles. The council statement also notes that the city has 12 other salt/plow trucks, four of which are 2013 and 2014 models. The Parks Department also has three trucks that are normally used for snow removal on city property, including parks, but could be used on streets if necessary.

The council letter noted that after the cuts, the budget still requires $1.6 million be taken from city reserves and does not provide a pay increase for employees. The council states that this is a time to take a “hard look” at spending and search for ways to cut costs.

The council statement also took issue with the mayor’s statement, saying the council was “embarrassed that our mayor has brought this personal attack to the elected officials and the negative light that it has cast upon the city.”

In his statement, Schneider called out some council members by name. He also chastised some of the council members who have retired from their full-time jobs for having time to meet during the week for coffee, calling them the “Coffee Council” and questioning if they are violating sunshine laws.

The Mayor’s statement was put on the city’s website. The council is asking that their statement also be put on the website.

Schneider asked the council to reconsider their vote at the Dec. 9 meeting. Schneider said he did not veto the bill so he would not hold up closing out the city’s fiscal year. At least six council members would have to vote to override the veto. Since the council voted unanimously to pass the original bill, they would likely override the veto.

The bill does not need the mayor’s signature to go into effect. The budget took effect on Dec. 1, the start of the city’s fiscal year.

Coucnilman Tim Lee said in an email that “as far as I know, there will be no further discussion about the budget at the next meeting.”  Mayor Schneider said the City Council will have an opportunity at the Dec.9^th council meeting “to correct their ill-advised actions in stripping the Public Works department of much needed equipment.”.