City Manager outlines 2025 budget outlook, bond projects and capital priorities at Maplewood town hall

MAPLEWOOD — The City Manager delivered the 2025 State of the City address at a Jan. 28 work session, summarizing last fiscal year’s results, the status of voter-approved Prop S bond projects, and near-term budget planning steps while answering questions from councilmembers and residents.

In a fiscal recap, the City Manager said the city closed the year with $23,200,000 in revenue, a general fund unassigned balance of $9,500,000 and strong sales-tax performance that now makes up about 55% of total revenue. The City Manager noted the city maintained a AA credit rating and received a GFOA certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting. “We don’t actually have that money to use on an unrestricted basis. It is restricted cash,” the City Manager said when describing funds that must transfer into the state police and fire pension system after a prior trust dissolution.

Why it matters: the presentation framed the city’s near-term capacity to invest in infrastructure and operations while signaling areas of fiscal pressure—particularly the sewer-lateral and solid-waste programs—that could require policy choices or voter approval next year.

Big-ticket items and bond projects: the City Manager said the traffic study’s recommended projects are being implemented under Prop S, the $6 million bond measure approved by voters last April with roughly 75% support. The city sold the bonds at a favorable rate and began construction last fall; staff expect many projects to finish before the originally forecast 2027 end date if current progress continues. The presentation listed roughly $2,100,000 in completed street-and-sidewalk projects to date and noted upcoming work including the Greenwood Avenue reconstruction and the Great Rivers Greenway Trail project, timed to minimize combined impacts on residents.

Sustainability and lighting: the sustainability commission is conducting a residential solar lighting study with Wash U; a sustainability commission member, Tom (Sustainability Commission member), said the study and community survey are moving forward and that a survey and data analysis will inform recommendations. The City Manager said the city will review the study recommendations before deciding on street-lighting investments drawn from the bond.

Parks and public facilities: Central Park work was completed using a $410,000 grant from the Municipal Parks Cooperative GRAMA program. The City Manager said the city was awarded additional funds for Yale Park and plans to invest about $175,000 in city funds in that project. A feasibility study by Navigate is underway to evaluate the police facility and the broader city hall site; the City Manager said recommendations, cost estimates and financing scenarios will be presented before the council’s budget work sessions.

Public safety technology and CALEA: the city expanded public-safety camera coverage and upgraded body-worn and in-car camera systems. On the CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) assessment, the Police Chief said the process includes an annual web-based review and an on-site visit scheduled for March 17.

Budget pressures and next steps: the City Manager flagged that the sewer-lateral and solid-waste funds have run persistent deficits and said staff will bring additional recommendations on the sewer-lateral program at a February work session. The City Manager said the council will need to consider whether to seek voter approval for a solid-waste tax increase if revenues cannot cover expenses in the coming year.

Organizational improvements: the city launched the Welcome Maplewood plan last fiscal year and has implemented HR staffing and technology changes. Staff are implementing a new budgeting platform and a new HR management system planned to launch April 1, and staff aim to finalize personnel ordinance updates and collective bargaining agreement execution before that launch. The city is developing a 10-year capital improvement plan and a self-service business-licensing portal.

Community engagement and planning: the city’s comprehensive-plan public survey received just under 400 responses; staff said the level of response was good relative to population. Land-use scenario planning with PGAV and a steering committee is underway with recommendations expected by August.

Resident questions and staff replies: resident Sheila (nonprofit representative) asked whether federal or state executive orders would change city approaches to policing or social services; the City Manager said the city is not changing current operations and lacks concrete administrative guidance to do otherwise. On grants, the City Manager said current projects would not be affected while noting uncertainty about future federal grant availability. Tom said the solar-lighting study results and the community survey will inform decisions on investments. The Police Chief confirmed the CALEA on-site assessment date.

Votes at a glance: near the end of the session the council approved a motion to adjourn the work session; the motion was seconded and carried with an affirmative voice vote. No other formal policy votes or ordinances were taken during the town-hall work session.

What’s next: staff will present sewer-lateral recommendations in February and produce a first draft of the city budget in March. The City Manager said there will be a budget kickoff session April 22, draft materials provided to council by May 2, and a planned final reading of the budget ordinance by June 10.