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Mayor Schneider Sends Budget Back Unsigned
For the second year in a row, Mayor Tom Schneider has sent back the Florissant City budget back unsigned. This is the mayor’s last budget, as he has decided not to seek reelection in 2019. The unsigned budget is actually symbolic as it is not a veto and therefore the 2019 budget will take effect in time for the transition from 2018 to 2019.
The mayor had issued a letter to the council and staff members on reasons he felt he had to do this. The mayor stated that his administration offered a proposed 2019 budget that was “balanced and sustainable and contained the use of resources consistent with best practices that have been established by Missouri municipalities,” he continued:
“We used over five decades of a time tested, prudent and pragmatic approach that was laid down by this and the two previous administrations under the current Charter all of which were given the recourses and the fiscal flexibility necessary to execute their duties so as to deliver all of the services that Florissant Citizens deserve and expect,”
The mayor stated that although deliberations on the 2019 budget were “long, arduous and tedious but were more reasonable than they were for the 2018 budget” which he contends were injurious to the city. “ He stated that he was very concerned about the “rigidity of the budget process used for the past two years which results in the difficult task” . . . of earmarking revenue streams to council mandated priorities as there were 9 different versions, he stated.
“This ill-advised approach has resulted in some services being abundantly funded while unnecessarily compromising other valuable services such as clerical and field force manpower to do essential work, transportation equipment for our Senior FLERT bus service and other important components to deliver all the services.”
He stated that “inadequate allowances for overtime resulted in a reduced level of service in several areas last year at a time when service requests are increasing by our residents and council members. Schneider Council’s insistence on substituting comp time for overtime compromises performance, production and moral and ends up costing more in the long run.
The mayor cited additional revenue from the citywide propositions he supported and voters approved, along with the “prudent cost saving initiatives: that the administration and council have put in place should make up for the previously decreases in revenue. “Therefore, . . . our City Government should not have to substantially reduce services at this time!”
He concluded that the budget that was adopted for 2019 will unnecessarily compromise the city’s ability to deliver all of the services that the citizens have come to expect “ therefore I hereby return Ordinance 8467 unsigned.” This action is not a veto of the 2019 Budget Ordinance therefore the 2019 Budget will take effect in time for an orderly transition of accounting affairs from 2018 to 2019.”
