[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6249008,"mediaKeyId","3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b","parentId",3207954,"title","Trailnet asks committee to fold 50‑50 sidewalk program into Streets Department and create planning division","audioSeconds",234,"startMs",6012000,"endMs",6246000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b&start=6012&end=6246","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b/thumbnail_6012000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6249008/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Trailnet-asks-committee-to-fold-5050-sidewalk-program-into-Streets-Department-and-create-planning-division","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249008-75ae5f0890bdac2a740932c82a57d41e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438422&Signature=HKfHIrYosFutJSjKUO52h~zF9VgI3cF3DR99dxsBbEAz7V8O9Qm1b~hvbAiqzA67OJ3OrY9j1PtzyGj9PSGiq5z4IgJBaocdK5A7X2n4QeAHOUYY17NXvH6gnr-uhTRLvmwvV1cmcOA0YWOg6ogiqh-Pv5xsmAsj0n1jF3K2yN6elFp1pKjWg2BDD9vvReLkx6YF0kMC4xUrNnjNDg7VOWGzwrmwtGUa7Y1rQ49KbtAo~GX7C-iMbzvJWVqMj~xgBT27lhAsnt~~IuK1TpQ~9PbFqMfU0bcSRxX7ev5LuQKq3fxASnb~FIIK24N3KO7USTz4N7vqEZRcqjKQuwW7AQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of St. Louis, MO","date","2025-05-07T08:25:02.75Z","article","Trailnet policy representative Charles Bryson asked the committee to create a permanent streets planning division and to end the city’s 50‑50 sidewalk cost‑sharing program so sidewalk repair funds can be consolidated and deployed based on a citywide accessibility and safety plan.

Bryson said the city has rising pedestrian fatalities and deteriorating sidewalks in many neighborhoods; he recommended a planning division within the Streets Department that would use existing staff — a complete streets coordinator, a bike‑ped coordinator and the street‑department liaison — to prioritize repairs and maintenance and to identify projects that reduce dangerous interactions between people and cars.

On the 50‑50 sidewalk program, Bryson argued the arrangement is inequitable: small homeowners in lower‑income neighborhoods are often unable to pay their 50 percent share. “All sidewalk line items should be allocated to the streets department, allowing the planning division within the streets department the opportunity to evaluate them in light of the TMP and determine the best course of action,” he said, referencing the city’s transportation master plan.

Committee members said they have heard similar concerns and that city staff and aldermanic offices will follow up about program structure and funding options; the Streets Department’s capital and operating allocations were also discussed earlier in the Payne presentation (salt replenishment, gas‑tax capital flows).

Ending: Trailnet asked the committee to evaluate consolidating sidewalk funding into the Streets Department and to create a planning unit to prioritize sidewalks and pedestrian safety as part of FY26 deliberations.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Budget and Public Employees Committee - May 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Trailnet urged the committee to create a streets planning division and eliminate the 50‑50 resident sidewalk program to allow city‑managed prioritization and equitable sidewalk replacement and maintenance.","taxTitle","St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Missouri","taxId",2587,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6249013,"Public raises transparency concerns over development incentives and a proposed battery plant site",537,6506000,7043000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b&start=6506&end=7043","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b/thumbnail_6506000.jpg","/articles/6249013/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Public-raises-transparency-concerns-over-development-incentives-and-a-proposed-battery-plant-site","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249013-4c31602c48003f4466efc4812a1ff5b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438422&Signature=oflJQe0MTl0bjaHmWU~Ilq56mM7koAdAVp7qXbZFu8l3Rzg5EVRsh2NwiuK6n3p25zoziiKqDmOmlmzQc3QspjRrlfcEP8BQJcemVSV3MCobEDemRT9paC-2S4FLosqYLVPhODJAy20WWAAk04XmdcqwXdBa9OAnC2tup4SzWUFUvAX24gYcvi2Q7ULcz2n-n2ALJPDYZ5NQaGTj3WHu78kddJfafCe6czz8Njlv85mf1kDVyHQYxWg~HPBoEKATcT1fTp8h9db2CC50Nu0CyvfOlH8PRaaZySOKOtPEr1ICi8KuvbYfstBXV1NK4mGPnVTY0EnzyLaGVCN4cXUYeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Two public commenters raised concerns about transparency and the incentive review process for large development projects and questioned whether the city’s oversight processes and public notice were adequate for a proposed industrial facility in North St. Louis.

Dan Pate testified that a proposed Israel Chemicals Limited (ICL) facility at 5401 West Third Street — a $500 million project in materials presented to the development authority — was being processed under existing incentive authorities with limited public disclosure. Pate said the developer sought a 15‑year property‑tax abatement (90 percent for 10 years, 50 percent for five years) plus a personal property abatement and reported an estimated incentive value of about $11,400,000. He said the state permit filing was largely redacted and expressed concern about air and water impacts for nearby neighborhoods, including proximity to recreational and water‑treatment sites.

Separately, resident and transparency advocate Jerry Connolly asked the committee to repair public‑records and incentives‑review processes. Connolly said the city’s Sunshine portal remained defective for more than a year, limiting public access to documents; he suggested changes to Ordinance 71,620 (the incentive reform ordinance passed in early 2023) to require better public notice and a penalty for non‑compliance. He described a recent project where key information did not reach the public or committee members in time for HUD committee review and urged mandatory two‑meeting reviews of HUD committee incentive items before a full board vote.

Neither the budget director nor the committee took action on the development incentives during the meeting; both speakers asked the committee to consider additional safeguards, improved public records access, and fuller disclosure of incentive value and environmental review before approving large abatements or exemptions.

Ending: Committee members acknowledged the testimony and told speakers they would forward documentation and questions to relevant staff; speakers asked the board to strengthen transparency and ensure full environmental and financial disclosure when incentives are considered.

","Members of the public told the committee they are worried about fast‑tracked incentives and limited transparency for large industrial projects, citing a proposed Israel Chemicals Limited facility, redacted state permitting documents, and ordinance‑based tax abatements.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6249018,"Advocates press committee to fund right‑to‑counsel, impacted‑tenants and winter shelter services",1529,8022000,9551000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b&start=8022&end=9551","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b/thumbnail_8022000.jpg","/articles/6249018/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Advocates-press-committee-to-fund-righttocounsel-impactedtenants-and-winter-shelter-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249018-639eb08a0839b264b9eab55fff9a3b70/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438423&Signature=bhmtqSqzwcgOOAVIG1NDi8kaD-9spZMFkrl7pTlGX4cK5jJe76XXqCd8IA8CYUFBRBRifWBT93SBbD6CahyMUXi-8KyEa81O9XdKRmNdmMv2fPY~IAMDB1fYVnXkYlvPxBeVyAX2RTonCnK9CRA6WzW0WDq47RZtv1M8JzZcmhNz931GcTRfvOExH4mo0K-KKHtsN9c7e-BMZoa1e2C9gtc7Pb0DmdJoIOpqGBuH3GpiXBujmq~mkDl9YJ4v3oi4feLsYoqK~XYIu0Pv5d1u2RzGb~HHO1jEUxK3npsnYUEcssKv~ooTFXVdHjurW8ZTsvzsOkfJRa-wDAr0DaNGkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A string of witnesses asked the Budget Committee to dedicate recurring local funds to housing stability and homelessness services, saying short‑term grants have proven insufficient to meet demand for evictions prevention, emergency shelter, and tenant supports.

“Right to counsel has already provided critical legal assistance to 721 individuals and the need is far greater given that approximately 5,000 evictions occurred in St. Louis last year,” said Alvania Creighton, urging a fully funded program. Multiple speakers recommended an annual appropriation near $2,000,000 to make the right‑to‑counsel program operational at scale.

Former Grace House Safe Haven director Brian Egan told the committee the city repeatedly loses beds and volunteer-run emergency capacity when short‑term funding lapses. He offered an $800,000 estimate to stand up winter emergency shelter capacity and said proven shelter operations can place people into long‑term housing at far lower public cost than repeated emergency responses.

Other public commenters asked for larger allocations to the Impacted Tenants Fund (requests ranged to $500,000 in testimony), stable funding for transitional housing and neighborhood stabilization programs, and for the city to stop relying on ad hoc volunteer winter outreach. Rachel Hurtado reviewed 2‑1‑1 referral data and said thousands of calls seeking housing help produce very few shelter referrals: “In 2024, 6,456 people called 2‑1‑1 for help with housing, and only 147 of those calls were referred to shelter,” she said, urging a general‑fund approach rather than dependence on expiring federal grants.

Speakers also urged funding for outreach and the warming bus, noting last winter’s deaths of people exposed to freezing conditions and arguing that emergency shelter and outreach funding should not be left to volunteers or temporary grants.

Ending: The committee acknowledged the requests and public testimony; members signaled the need to weigh recurring funding options for tenant protections, shelter capacity and impacted‑tenants support as they continue FY26 deliberations.

","Multiple witnesses urged the committee to provide recurring funding for tenant legal assistance, the impacted‑tenants fund, emergency shelter and winter outreach; speakers cited thousands of eviction filings and shelter turn‑aways.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6249023,"Health advocates urge larger, stable funding for St. Louis Department of Health",3393,6311000,9704000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b&start=6311&end=9704","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b/thumbnail_6311000.jpg","/articles/6249023/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Health-advocates-urge-larger-stable-funding-for-St-Louis-Department-of-Health","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249023-7c4e5f8f045b145d5b21e53a6c10e9db/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438423&Signature=CDmAIqlEF~zDfvvOHPqzwtj7CZ6VcZghZUju0JflnRTrAZhKVlSaWU4QtgQAb6twMANGC-P7y~FUwGn7z2jDW0S0ZdfbBU7UuJ7NZyBZSFQg1JZMkG3m0SjmD0LuGc4DtAKrjgggjr5L4gzEiD6U~mzLWzu95vyIsIE992ya1JrjGIMBM0yfwLmLl-waNPUn7GkF8jKKXCZlNJEVkoqJbMolmu0b04MmSxYDR8KmbGGY2rjcfgfPX9wsD88FMaZi5sy0KI9pDV07iJUGWOkWdqss7p4tg~xGPAto-SZSVxkdyjmkVJMTcVEhEq8yvPQPBavz9PZ0e9JnLlrwHVzF8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several public-health organizations and practitioners urged the Budget Committee to increase and stabilize funding for the City of St. Louis Department of Health, citing prevention, emergency preparedness, and health‑equity work that they say cannot be sustained on temporary grants.

“Public health promotes and protects the health of all people and their communities,” said Induelle Jolly, president and CEO of the Integrated Health Network, testifying that the Department of Health represents a small slice of the city budget yet delivers core services that support neighborhoods and the local economy.

Advocates made three linked points: that the department’s staffing and core operating capacity is underfunded relative to the city’s needs; that several prevention and clinical programs have lost or face reductions in federal grant funding; and that investing in public health yields downstream savings and better outcomes in safety, education and workforce productivity.

Speakers included leaders and partners from local health organizations and the board that oversees city hospitals and public‑health clinics. Risa Rollins of the Community Health Commission of Missouri asked the committee to “prioritize adequate, stable funding for the Department of Health to maintain its workforce and fulfill its mission,” and Asia Owens, CHCM’s advocacy mobilization manager, highlighted gaps in access and the public‑health effects of looming Medicaid changes and an 11.8 percent uninsured rate in Missouri.

Board of Health Vice Chair Kristen Simpson, a nurse practitioner who runs a public clinic, reported that the city recently lost a Department of Justice grant that funded a bullet‑related injury clinic: “Public health is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. It’s the foundation of our city’s well‑being,” she said, urging that the city move toward best practices in municipal health funding.

Speakers tied public‑health funding to other priorities discussed at the hearing: homelessness and housing instability, maternal health disparities, and violence prevention. Several witnesses asked the committee to fund the department from stable general‑fund sources rather than one‑time federal grants, arguing the work is ongoing and cannot be sustained by short‑term sources.

Ending: Committee members noted the requests and said they would consider public‑health needs as hearings continue; advocates asked the committee to include sustained general‑fund support when it advances FY26 recommendations to the full board.

","Multiple health organizations told the budget committee the city’s Department of Health needs increased, sustained funding to address disparities, clinical services, mental‑health and violence‑prevention work, and to replace dwindling grant dollars.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6249028,"Budget director outlines $1.41 billion FY26 plan as revenues slow, pension and internal service costs rise",2307,323000,2630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b&start=323&end=2630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207954-014e48ccb2fd92c082d1605b892e826b/thumbnail_323000.jpg","/articles/6249028/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Budget-director-outlines-141-billion-FY26-plan-as-revenues-slow-pension-and-internal-service-costs-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249028-9a18b4a5f70d6cd1dc23d160a647830d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770438423&Signature=GZKQ-IkOBm9lxKNqFuXBFdKOpY1o-wkHXz9m3EWq2qpmyCEF47xMBSdPxKasWCD3JU5Xp3UMpf-HqSvCb0aiOYbKhxNeOBacIgS5RIG7Ca-2sT56fDBgBhbNsNqot9pFyP4VsbsVQ-1xvVdLiiaoQr88c4zkiZG88SjupWLVyXrPuQEVIZd2Cn1wmun1dE20TEYtlDFeHRba4I3VAS7EfSyK-fnwQ8jNhtt13iwYoxZnkC7HPT6nKfWVHF4efS1kIO-Dza~du~4NHCnrEU16sMA6QJA4h~eheLuXZ~58USgdPRdoa9omfHaoEBRXac4OAtgMf8ENpjJTeU8XdsFIOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Budget Director Paul Payne on Wednesday presented the Board of Aldermen Budget Committee with a proposed Fiscal Year 2026 annual operating plan totaling about $1,410,000,000 and told members that slower revenue growth and large tax refunds in the current year required a cautious approach.

Payne said the general fund portion of the budget is $607,400,000 and that the package balances one-time items and ongoing pressures: “This increase is not because of underlying growth. What you’re seeing here is that this year we took a big hit…there was significant refunds and activity that we had this year,” he said, referring to earnings and payroll-tax refunds that materially reduced receipts in the current fiscal year.

The nut graf: the FY26 proposal incorporates one-time ARPA interest transfers, a smaller capital program than last year, creation of an internal service fund to capture police-related support costs, and modest underlying revenue growth assumptions as the committee and public weigh adjustments and potential amendments.

Payne walked the committee through revenues and expenditures in detail. He said earnings-tax receipts are estimated at about $232,300,000 in FY26 after unusually large refunds this year, and he used a conservative underlying-growth assumption of roughly 1.5 percent. Sales-tax receipts, he warned, have softened — down in the first three quarters — and the budget uses modest growth assumptions for sales and use taxes. He told the committee the use tax fund was revised downward because receipts were down about 7.3 percent year‑to‑date.

On the expenditure side, Payne called attention to pension and personnel lines. Pension costs across the city’s retirement systems are projected to rise net about $1,800,000 in FY26; the presentation showed differing movement among systems, with police pension request figures down but other plans rising. Personnel totals show an overall decline in positions in the general fund (down about 184 positions) coupled with an increase in special-fund and enterprise positions, reflecting both reallocations and vacancies.

A significant structural change in the FY26 package is the creation of an internal service fund to better account for services that support the police department but are now provided by other city departments. “We moved the costs associated…into the internal service fund,” Payne said, explaining a $16,400,000 allocation that will appear in the police department budget as a charge for services previously budgeted elsewhere (personnel, facilities, equipment services and the law department).

Payne also described ARPA interest earnings: ARPA funds earned about $37,500,000 in interest through March; after prior appropriations, roughly $22,200,000 remained available. The proposed budget uses $5,000,000 of that interest to support general revenues in FY26, $6,900,000 for circuit court capital projects, and $10,300,000 to a judgments/settlements account requested by the City Counselor’s office.

Capital spending is smaller than last year — roughly $61,400,000 in the capital fund — because the prior-year operating surplus available to transfer to capital is lower than in FY25. Payne also highlighted a planned replenishment of the city’s road salt supply ($800,000) after heavy usage in the previous winter and described internal adjustments that move some personnel costs out of the general‑government category and into internal service or special funds.

Committee members pressed Payne on several revenue items and program specifics during the presentation, including: the short‑term rental tax (Prop S) revenue timing; how the internal service fund mechanism works and why it was created; trends in gaming and sales tax receipts; and the magnitude and persistence of the earnings‑ and payroll‑tax refund impacts. Payne said recurring refunds in future years are uncertain but estimated a conservative ongoing refund exposure of about $14,000,000 (approximately $12,000,000 earnings tax and $2,000,000 payroll tax) until trends are clearer.

Payne also walked members through personnel and salary‑savings assumptions. He said roughly $35,000,000 of salary savings is built into the budget (about $30,000,000 in the general fund), reflecting vacancies and other position changes; the committee discussed vacancy rates, recruiting challenges, and tradeoffs between filling positions and using contractual services.

The committee did not adopt amendments at this meeting. After Payne’s presentation and public comment, the committee recessed to continue a hearing schedule that will include additional departmental presentations (mayor’s office, public safety, comptroller, fire and police, among others) before the committee considers any changes to the ENA-submitted budget.

Ending: The FY26 draft budget presented to the committee balances slower revenue growth assumptions with limited one‑time supports. The committee scheduled follow-up departmental hearings and public testimony before finalizing recommendations to the full board of aldermen, and members signaled attention to pensions, vacancy management, the new internal service charge for police support costs, and the durability of sales‑ and use‑tax receipts.

","Budget Director Paul Payne presented the proposed FY26 operating and capital budgets totaling about $1.41 billion, citing one-time refunds and slower sales-tax growth as drivers of a cautious revenue outlook and outlining changes including a new internal service fund for police support costs, ARPA interest allocations, and personnel shifts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Trailnet asks committee to fold 50‑50 sidewalk program into Streets Department and create planning division

Public raises transparency concerns over development incentives and a proposed battery plant site

Advocates press committee to fund right‑to‑counsel, impacted‑tenants and winter shelter services

Health advocates urge larger, stable funding for St. Louis Department of Health

Budget director outlines $1.41 billion FY26 plan as revenues slow, pension and internal service costs rise