St. Paul interim finance director proposes $5.1M general-fund budget; highlights grants team, electronic payments gains

At a meeting of the St. Paul City Council Finance and Budget Committee, Interim Director Laura Logsdon presented the Office of Financial Services' (OFS) proposed 2026 general-fund budget of $5.1 million, a net increase of about $34,000 from the current year.

Logsdon said OFS’s work is “foundational” for the city and outlined priorities for 2026 including staff development, succession planning and a shift to priority-based budgeting. She said the proposed general-fund change is small overall but hides several internal shifts: a reduction of the department’s attrition budget, a move of 1.5 full-time-equivalent positions out of the general fund into special funds and a small increase to cover state paid-leave costs.

Why it matters: OFS manages the city’s accounting, investments, debt and grant compliance—functions that affect departmental spending across St. Paul. Changes in OFS staffing and systems affect how the city applies for, manages and spends federal, state and local funds.

Key figures and near-term proposals

- Logsdon gave the 2026 proposed OFS general-fund total as $5,100,000 and said the net…