Mayor, Council at Odds Over Budget

By Carol Arnett

The Florissant City Council had three public hearings scheduled last wee and postponed one and held the other two.

The first hearing was about a request from Popeye’s to allow for changes in the development plan from the property at 955 N. Hwy. 67. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P and Z) recommended approval.

Councilman Gerard Henke asked about cross access. A representative from the Cancila auto company said that they had worked out a cross access agreement. City Attorney John Hessel asked the speakers to send a copy of the agreement to the city and it would be included in the bill.

The council held a first reading on the bill that would approve the request.

The city postponed the next public hearing about the day care center proposed by Grace and Mercy Adult Program because no one came to speak about it. The hearing had previously been postponed.

In a third hearing, the council heard from the Knights of Columbus Duchesne Council #2951. The council would like to put in a digital sign at their property at 50 rue St. Francois. Anthony Lewis spoke to the council about the sign.

The property is in Councilman Henke’s ward. “The Knights’ property is such an integral part of the city,” he said. “Anything we can do to help get the work out.”

Councilmen Joe Eagan and Keith Schildroth both recused themselves since they are members of the Knights of Columbus.

Councilman Eagan Questions Budget Requests

There was disagreement between the Florissant City Council and Mayor Tom Schneider at the council meeting last Monday, with some council members questioning budget requests from the administration. Mayor Schneider did not comment on most questions raised during the meeting, but sent a letter out the next day defending the administration’s action. (see side bar story on Mayor Schneider’s response)

During the reading of the first bill moving funds, Councilman Joe Eagan spoke. “As you see on the agenda this evening, we have a list of money transfers,” he said. “I think it’s only fair to let the citizens know where we are and how we got there, and this is just in my opinion.”

Eagan continued, “Each year, the staff and administration prepare a budget and present it to the council.” He said that last year’s budget process was the most difficult he has experienced.“The council set out to reduce spending in a way that would have minimal impact on our citizens and on our greatest asset,” he said. He added that employees were the city’s greatest asset.

“We asked the administration to take a hard look at the budget and make cuts. With the exception of the Parks and Recreation Department, that request was largely ignored,” Eagan said.

The council then created an ordinance to offer early retirement incentives. The ordinance mandated that vacated positions would remain open for 16 weeks. “The administration largely ignored this requirement,” he said.

“Part of this incentive was an opportunity for the administration,” Eagan said. “Sadly, the administration did not view this as an opportunity. He said that the council specifically asked that the assistant finance assistant finance director not be replaced before a finance director was hired. The administration hired an assistant director.

“There isn’t enough money to pay our people through our fiscal year or lay people off.”

He said that he did not agree with everything in the budget, but he supported it. He further added that the administration asked employees to come to meetings and pressure council members.

If the administration had shown proper leadership on the budget issue, Eagan said, the situation could have been avoided.

Councilman Tim Jones said that he voted against the budget because it was not balanced. He said that he did vote for the incentive plan and added that it was not mandatory; it was an offer. “They mayor did not like this, and this is the repercussions we’re getting,” he said.

Eagan also added that he reviewed the bills on Saturday, and found out before the meeting that many were substitute bills, so they were not the same as the ones he had reviewed.

The council asked the city’s Finance Director Kimberlee Johnson, about the bills.

Councilman Ben Parson asked that Johnson go over each bill. Councilman Gerard Henke asked if these bills did not add money to the budget. “We are moving from one account to another,” he said.

The council then discussed each of the several bills with Johnson. They voted “yes” on some and “no” on others, depending on the effects each would have.

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