[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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],{"_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",6249012,"mediaKeyId","3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad","parentId",3207953,"title","Comptroller outlines FY26 budget, modernization steps and train station operations","audioSeconds",407,"startMs",11098000,"endMs",11505000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad&start=11098&end=11505","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad/thumbnail_11098000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6249012/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Comptroller-outlines-FY26-budget-modernization-steps-and-train-station-operations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249012-3d69453c5737af9163435d3542c35426/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140346&Signature=WciNNwUVSvkyXe-PnbtD2AQESL1-Xvwy3pdk6aowYHie-1n3BiOaZjOp87qBYUFXi2XUhYIsoGUZZFFguImMU~BDmEDc~b05ZMTdzhVE9pWxTRUvw3GZeG43u-20TMTmQ96fHkitLJ1VGFD83RPcC6QkAi~7hXG45Fdk8TZXh0EMplrYKzZPC~IKVwa9yieGA5Dnh8dP42kfmJlA-v96LZqzRaSdnMScsD2TJmu8UaJqk-CvMZurHqLr9pCfMqS1v6H-OrWbuNE5zkF98t5Qq7yEbhjhNMuTDuXHR6sZxjFe4zr5-UYi6BZtvtLqTmWZf6KiARXGx9W3F6XFt058ng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of St. Louis, MO","date","2025-05-07T08:24:55.813Z","article","Comptroller Donna Behringer and Deputy Comptroller Jason Fletcher presented the Comptroller’s FY26 proposed budget to the Budget Committee on May 6, describing the plan as largely inherited and outlining a modernization effort to streamline contracting, invoicing and project accounting.

Fletcher described the comptroller’s combined, all‑funds proposed budget of $18,952,372 for FY26 — a roughly 3% increase year over year — with $13.7 million in the general fund portion. He said the Gateway Transportation Center (GTC) and TIF administration are separate cost centers in the comptroller’s portfolio; the GTC is budgeted at about $2.2 million and TIF administration at about $2.1 million.

Behringer, who said she had been on the job three weeks, said the office will prioritize modernization, including implementing the Oracle contract module with e‑signatures and integrating UKG timekeeping with Oracle for project labor costs. She said a contract with a consultant (Armanino) will bring DocuSign and contract workflow online and that the comptroller’s office has a separate Slalom project to modernize TIF administration.

Fletcher said the proposed table of organization includes a net increase of seven full‑time equivalents overall: five security officers for the Gateway Transportation Center (largely reimbursed by station operators) and two additional auditors for the comptroller proper. He added that the GTC security positions are funded almost entirely by station tenants and that the general‑fund impact is mainly the two audit positions.

Committee members asked about vacant positions, whether previously issued bond proceeds remain unspent, and how modernization will help speed vendor payments. Behringer and Fletcher said the office has funds available to begin modernization and that the contract‑approval module is expected to go live in June, which they expect will reduce approval time and speed processing. Fletcher said the city’s invoice-processing time in the comptroller’s office is currently under two days once a department routes an invoice for payment, and that most payment delays occur at the department level before invoices are entered into Oracle.

Aldermen also asked about the Gateway Transportation Center’s origin and why it sits in the comptroller’s portfolio; former project personnel explained that the center’s bond financing and lease structure led to the facility’s placement in the comptroller’s office for debt and lease management.

Behringer said the comptroller will perform a wider organizational review to propose a restructured FY27 budget and that the office will pursue automation to reduce paper processes, improve contract tracking and integrate payroll and project accounting. She said these steps should improve transparency and reduce administrative time for departments and vendors.

No committee votes were taken on the comptroller’s budget on May 6; aldermen expressed support for the modernization efforts and offered to coordinate on specific policy or contract issues.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Budget and Public Employees - May 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","New Comptroller Donna Behringer and Deputy Jason Fletcher presented the comptroller’s FY26 budget on May 6, describing a largely inherited proposal, steps to modernize contract and invoice workflows (Oracle/DocuSign), and staffing changes tied to the Gateway Transportation Center.","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},6249017,"Emergency management commissioner urges more staff, stable grants and funding for public alerts",1542,6142000,7684000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad&start=6142&end=7684","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad/thumbnail_6142000.jpg","/articles/6249017/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Emergency-management-commissioner-urges-more-staff-stable-grants-and-funding-for-public-alerts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249017-844ceab00781c990b3458a8cf54ba9a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140346&Signature=U4hB6xvgW9-LKLR2zPyE6ZScUXw8pyAEdgl6EBFNTEYgJB8JMgmQ0mwTKjjYqxkrdiy6f7EdLbr-IXWYe7C7ZOiq33wctNg31KVc~a6GEfzzUbVlUk0RjrlvGj~MVJE4ONe~CICoD32iGqIndL1fSOsyktjUJGtCpdZ4pqiUSkRYAC~aWx4DJaM416AprgReN00kEZCnyHt9SWSjCytybRhQUZnPOYM7COPHlvsCecXbuC8Ut91af7IkvAr92arl8Pk28nQB1qJYjhd4~DjdYNLvVnF8ZCmB8Nm0hQBKhtIbABkzDsbDqmzFTNta-UsQNtYjyRqKhW4GZkz2m4zx5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sarah Russell, commissioner of the City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), told the Budget Committee on May 6 that CEMA operates at far lower staffing and budget levels than comparable agencies and asked the committee to consider requests for staff and operating funds to maintain public alerting, grant compliance and preparedness work.

Russell outlined a list of requested or proposed items for FY26: replenishing outreach and safety supplies (she requested $12,000 but was allocated $2,000 in the proposed budget), funding existing software licenses (about $7,000 for active licenses such as Salamander and other services), and adding personnel — a program coordinator, an executive assistant II and two additional emergency management specialists — intended to expand planning, continuity, exercise and municipal building safety work.

The commissioner said CEMA is the city’s public alert and warning authority and is overseeing replacement of the outdoor siren system; an engineering study funded in prior budgets is nearing completion. She emphasized CEMA’s regional role on Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and other federal grant projects but said federal grant opportunities and guidance have narrowed, complicating planning and the local match obligations needed to spend awarded funds.

Russell described the department’s limited capacity. She said Seema’s budget share — the share of the Department of Public Safety budget attributable to CEMA — has historically been less than two‑tenths of 1% and that students from Washington University’s Sustainability Exchange had found CEMA a “low outlier” compared with peer agencies that allocate 1–2% of public safety budgets to emergency management.

On grants, Russell noted continuing uncertainty at the federal level for Homeland Security and FEMA funding streams. She said delays and guidance shifts have slowed hazard mitigation buyouts tied to the 2022 flash flooding and have complicated use of cybersecurity grant funds the city has received. She urged the committee to consider sustaining local match capacity so the city can claim federal reimbursements when grants proceed.

The commissioner also described several smaller but material needs: seven AED‑style safety units as part of a larger City Hall emergency training plan (the AED ask in this hearing was made by the public safety director), printed outreach materials in multiple languages (FEMA‑supplied materials have been reduced), and the Salamander software subscription (used for resource and credential tracking) at approximately $4,000 annually.

Committee members pressed Russell about priorities. Several aldermen said they were reluctant to cut CEMA further given recent flooding, changing federal grant rules, and the agency’s role in coordinating regional response. Vice Chair Browning and others flagged the program coordinator and an executive assistant as high‑priority additions if only one position could be restored.

Russell summarized CEMA’s recent accomplishments: an active emergency operations center (EOC) transition plan into a forthcoming consolidated PSAP/EOC project, upgraded radio equipment for the mobile command vehicle, a hosted New Madrid earthquake exercise with federal partners, partnership work on an “Air Collaborative” resilience workshop for neighborhoods, and an emergency financial empowerment pilot tied to disaster resilience. She said adding staff would both increase capacity for daily planning and create redundancy so the agency can run an EOC and support external operations simultaneously.

No formal vote on CEMA’s requests occurred on May 6. Russell said she will continue discussing grants and staffing with the committee as federal guidance and local awards evolve.","CEMA Commissioner Sarah Russell told the Budget Committee on May 6 that the City’s emergency management agency operates with a fraction of peer agencies’ budgets and requested additional staff, software and outreach funding to sustain preparedness, public alerts and grant programs.",{"_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},6249022,"New Public Safety director seeks AEDs, a program manager and staffing to expand oversight",394,3186000,3580000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad&start=3186&end=3580","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad/thumbnail_3186000.jpg","/articles/6249022/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/New-Public-Safety-director-seeks-AEDs-a-program-manager-and-staffing-to-expand-oversight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249022-4d3b68ddcbd1b5159b089d26ffc44208/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140346&Signature=GeiaCeUrbNtk9AAjq9yZE-c~UgGCOPOVl10ebxJcjpsZCdFa-3~HcqMRr33PmQyoRpGdy2MIELlpXDn2o~MuUkeX3AUMfOPgfxcVcf3Bm3GplV8d8-kbedocouOx2aoIls~MyW-w17Bzrfb81wR2GlENVnL9RxPBtpYzpAOQFljcZYN508jWfKXmu-GCa7Fp-NO2NVqNFGWCKYALvhR60NCyLqyBJPBmG4-zSNQDHbdw4KNs4Md7A8sysLUukAeOcSlRVU2SN8rFohqp8hNW54Gs0sj4a~A1j9C4zKOO8d4pUTxPRt1ZtejCMB-AEhuGHqA6L0m4AHk52NvgN0okag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sean Dace, the city’s new public safety director, told the Board of Aldermen Budget Committee on May 6 he is seeking targeted additions to the Department of Public Safety budget: $25,000 to purchase seven Stryker automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for City Hall and restoration of a Program Manager II position to provide oversight of multiple programs across the department’s eight divisions.

Dace, a 35‑year St. Louis City Police Department veteran who retired as a major, said the department’s FY26 request totals roughly $1.3 million across funds and that most of the general fund request supports personnel. He said a portion of the department’s work is funded through local sales tax propositions (Prop P and Prop S) and that the department also receives the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), which underwrites two criminal intelligence analyst positions in the Homicide Division.

Dace described the AED request as driven by two heart‑related incidents among city employees last year and by the lack of any AEDs in City Hall. The $25,000 request would buy seven Stryker units; Dace said the Stryker brand was chosen because it is the same brand used by Fire/EMS and would streamline patient care during transfers.

The Program Manager II role, Dace said, would centralize oversight for the many programs run by public safety’s eight divisions including building management and the city justice center and would increase “visibility and transparency” of processes and operations. The director also said the role would help the department shift from largely reactive responses to proactive program management.

Committee members pressed for details on several line items. Carletta Fielder, the department’s fiscal manager, said the Program Manager II had been posted and that the department had been actively interviewing but the position was removed from the proposed budget; she asked the committee to restore it if possible.

Aldermen asked about youth employment programming funded from sales tax proceeds (prop P). Dace said the department typically runs summer youth employment through a set of vendor contracts awarded by RFP and that the Prop P fund provides consistent annual support of roughly $1,000,000 for crime prevention programming; a computer error in summary tables caused an erroneous large fluctuation in the printed budget book but the ordinance still requires a $1,000,000 allocation.

Dace said the department is hiring for several vacant posts including a neighborhood stabilization commissioner and a violence prevention commissioner, and he identified the Justice Center as a near‑term operational priority that the committee will examine separately when corrections leadership appears.

He also noted an increase in the Justice Center budget driven in part by an increase in inmate health contract costs and personnel service requests, but said final staffing counts were to be firmed up when the corrections division appears before the committee.

No votes were taken on the public safety department request on May 6. Several aldermen welcomed Dace’s emphasis on program oversight and his stated intent to work regionally with law‑enforcement and public‑safety partners to improve recruitment and retention.","Public Safety Director Sean Dace, newly appointed, asked the Budget Committee on May 6 for $25,000 to buy seven Stryker AEDs for City Hall and asked to restore a Program Manager II position to improve oversight across the department’s eight divisions; he also outlined use of Proposition P funds and Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) allocations.",{"_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},6249027,"Mayor Kara Spencer keeps her office budget largely unchanged while pledging personnel and technology reviews",324,1116000,1440000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad&start=1116&end=1440","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3207953-13947c47b499de4bd338afd88cfb4fad/thumbnail_1116000.jpg","/articles/6249027/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Mayor-Kara-Spencer-keeps-her-office-budget-largely-unchanged-while-pledging-personnel-and-technology-reviews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249027-caaa70c50736682d708e42b6c2ee2be9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140346&Signature=Q-6p~-3QBNvJ~Yzr-w5jBSRrMsHWnlMspKJrXgm9k7UNA7XvyqRsucL4n~rRH6kdeGtf2qQml~DOkA49J4r2DOhAh7FL6Xr~9ilXpYzl1Gl~feuJu8Ks~~IqT-yC5dmWa1pOFnlG2dcjS1wK7pWXZUrjTATh9erdBDhv-3XX1AzuMEFq7SwOXpIG9JH2nFKFta96MVuz1k8S5hkUxknOC2z0R1L5Mh0e8FaROa0Ae3cGqJ31cExwV7SLC~5ttUTnrUgOL3xo~AcVmuNqrdKMraoroNtS6HYQxkABx1X8zbcKOJqMRAdhzCYYplNVwwVbnF7pwX2k5QDIWGenrJjb3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Kara Spencer told the Board of Aldermen Budget Committee on May 6 that she is keeping the mayor’s office budget largely unchanged from the prior year while she conducts a short-term staffing reorganization and plans a citywide pay study.

The mayor’s office is presenting a budget similar to the one prepared by Budget Director Paul Payne and does not plan to ask the board for additional funds for the office this fiscal year, Spencer said. Most spending in the office is for personnel; the mayor noted modest allocations for office equipment and supplies.

The mayor said she had only been in office a short time when the budget was finalized, leaving little opportunity to redesign it. “We did keep the budget exactly the same as presented to us,” she said, adding that changes she envisions are staff reassignments rather than new line‑item increases. She said the mayor’s office has roughly 20 budgeted positions and estimated about 14 are currently filled.

Spencer told the committee she sees three near-term priorities: completing a pay study to help recruit and retain city employees, upgrading technology platforms used by permitting and other services, and continuing transition work after a large number of long‑tenured administrative staff retired when the administration changed.

Aldermen who questioned or commented welcomed the mayor’s in‑person presentation and urged attention to staffing shortages in departments that deliver basic services. Alderman Sonia praised the mayor for attending and for starting conversations about changing the city’s budget timeline so newly elected executives would have more time to craft budgets. Alderman Devote asked the mayor to prioritize areas with high vacancy rates when the pay study recommendations are applied.

Spencer said she does not plan to request new positions for the mayor’s office in this cycle but would welcome additional staff if the board provides funding in future budgets. She named potential priorities for additional staffing — including an office liaison for violence prevention and an education liaison — but said the administration would be cautious in a year of fiscal tightening.

The mayor referenced the broader fiscal environment in which the city is operating: lower revenue growth than recent cost increases, population loss and lower assessed values downtown, and waning federal relief dollars such as American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that previously supported many social services. She said the administration will work with the legislative branch and the public through hearings as the budget process continues.

The committee did not take any votes on the mayor’s office budget at the May 6 meeting. Aldermen and the mayor agreed to keep lines of communication open as department hearings and budget adjustments continue.

The mayor’s staff present at the hearing included liaison Dan Gunther, Deputy Chief of Staff Emily Tenhouse and Chief of Staff Nancy Hawes; Budget Director Paul Payne was acknowledged as author of the proposal the mayor retained.

Looking ahead, Spencer said she intended to pursue the pay study’s recommendations after the budget cycle, and to continue technical and staffing reviews beyond fiscal adoption so changes can be phased in during the year.","Mayor Kara Spencer presented the mayor’s office budget to the Board of Aldermen Budget Committee on May 6, saying the office will keep the proposed spending largely the same as last year while focusing on staff reorganization, a forthcoming pay study and technology upgrades.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Comptroller outlines FY26 budget, modernization steps and train station operations

Emergency management commissioner urges more staff, stable grants and funding for public alerts

New Public Safety director seeks AEDs, a program manager and staffing to expand oversight

Mayor Kara Spencer keeps her office budget largely unchanged while pledging personnel and technology reviews