St. Francois County commissioners approve budget amendments, authorize aerial imagery contract and multiple grant applications

ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY — The St. Francois County Commission approved a set of budget amendments and several administrative actions during a regular meeting that followed a brief budget hearing.

The commission voted to adopt budget amendments presented at the hearing and to approve several items including permission to enter a multi‑year contract for aerial imagery, authorization to bid a metal roof for the Weber Road facility, creation of a chief deputy public administrator position for 2026, and permission for two county offices to apply for State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) grants.

The meeting began with a roll call and a short budget hearing in which county staff reported the current budget position. A county office representative said the county is "currently at 3% over the recommended budget, with 5 months remaining," and later a speaker summarized year‑to‑date activity as "30% over year to date." The auditor’s office cautioned that unbudgeted capital improvements — for example, buying a building — could skew final results. The commission then approved budget amendments described in the hearing; an amount cited by staff for the adjustments was "over $351,000." Those amendments were approved by voice vote with ayes recorded and no nays called.

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