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Schneider’s 1st Budget Down $1.5 Million; He Cites Census Factors
By Carol Arnett
Florissant Mayor Tom Schneider presented his first budget to the city council last week. The budget, at just under $30 million, is down approximately $1.5 million from last year’s budget. The city’s fiscal year runs from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30.
Schneider told the council in his budget message that changes resulting from the 2010 census made the budgeting process difficult. The changes from the census, Schneider said, affected several revenue sources that are based on population, such as cigarette tax, general sales tax, motor vehicle sales tax, motor vehicle fuel tax, motor vehicle fee increases, and the capital improvement sales tax.
The city’s population decreases by approximately 2,000 people. However, Schneider noted, this was not as dramatic of a decline as the city saw in 1990 and 2000.
City employee will not see a pay raise this year. However, there will be no layoffs or positions cut. Another challenge the city faces regarding personnel is the fact that this year there will be a 27th pay period. This happens approximately every eleven years.
The budget uses approximately $1.45 million in reserves. $550,000 of this will go to the 27th pay period.
The General Fund is by far the biggest of the city’s funds, with projected revenues of $22 million. The General Fund pays for most of the city’s expenses, including funding the Police Department. The Police Department is the largest department in the city, with expenditures of $10.6 million.
Approximately half the revenue in the General Fund comes from five taxes: cigarette tax, gasoline tax, road and bridge, sales tax and utility tax. The remainder of the fund comes from licenses, permits, recreation fees, the municipal court and other miscellaneous income.
Other city funds include the Capital Improvement Fund and the Park Improvement Fund. The Capital Improvement Fund is funded through the capital improvement sales tax, which is projected to bring in $3 million. $1.2 million of this will be spent on streets, and $600,000 on capital additions. These additions include several vehicles. The police department will get six new cars and the city will also purchase two vans, a salt truck, a handicap bus and three pickup trucks.
The Park Improvement Fund is also funded by a separate sales tax, which is projected to bring in just under $3 million. The biggest expense in this fund is salaries, at $800,000.
The council will review the budget and hold a public hearing on it at the Oct. 10 meeting.
