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Budget Process Explained at City Council Public Hearing
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant City Council held a public hearing on the proposed budget of $29.7 million for fiscal year 2011 at Monday night’s council meeting. The city’s fiscal year runs from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30. The 2010 budget was $32.4 million
Councilman Andrew Podleski questioned city Director of Finance Randy McDaniel about the budget process, asking McDaniel to explain how the new budget is created. McDaniel said that in July there is a mid-year review in which all department heads are asked to measure their actual revenue and expenditures against budgeted projections. At this point, McDaniel said, department heads begin to work on the next year’s budget.
While the department heads work on their budgets, McDaniel works on identifying the revenue the city can expect for the next year. When all the data is gathered, McDaniel and Mayor Robert Lowery put the budget together, again asking for input from department heads.
Podleski questioned how some of the budget funds were used, saying he was “not on board with moving money around.” As an example, he cited using money from the Park Improvement Fund for expenses that “no reasonable person would call in improvement.”
Councilwoman Karen McKay said that she, also, was not a proponent of using funds the way they have been used. However, she said that the council and mayor must keep the city going through the current recession. “We’ll rearrange the furniture to keep the city going,” she said.
Two residents spoke at the hearing. Kevin O’Donnell questioned several bills on Monday’s agenda that transferred money from one account to another. “It seems like all the council does this time of year is transfer funds. Either you’re not budgeting correctly or you’re not spending correctly, he said.” If we can’t make budget, just say we can’t make the budget,” he said.
Resident John Englemeyer spoke about the budget work sessions that the council will hold later this month. The sessions are open to the public, but the public cannot speak at the sessions. Englemeyer said he had studied the proposed budget, and would like to speak at the work sessions.
Works sessions, open to the public, will be held Monday, Oct. 25, 6-8 (before regular city council meeting; Tuesday, Oct. 26 starting at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 30 starting at 8 a.m. The council, following the work sessions can make changes before the final vote on the budget on Nov. 30.
In other news, in the open executive session before the regular council meeting, Councilman John Grib asked the administration and council to consider offering training sessions for board and commission members, especially members of the Board of Adjustments and the Planning and Zoning Commission. He asked if City Attorney John Hessel could provide training.
“I would be happy to do it,” Hessel said. “I do it for other cities, and I do it for free.” Hessel said that training to Boards of Adjustment and Planning and Zoning Commissions were the most frequently requested, but that he has also presented information to other boards.
