Wildwood council trims festival giveaways, sets Music on Main at $65,000 as budget work session continues

Wildwood — The City Council on Monday reviewed its proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget and made several policy decisions aimed at narrowing a projected shortfall while preserving core services.

At the work session, city staff presented three views of next year’s budget: Option B, department-submitted requests; Option A, a balanced-but-austere version; and a third column showing Planning & Parks and committee-recommended adjustments. City Administrator Tom Lee told the council that revenue headwinds — notably declines in telephone gross-receipts taxes and cable franchise fees — combined with rising costs such as insurance and a 3% projected police wage increase, had reduced the city’s operating capacity and required trade-offs.

Council members debated several discretionary items. After discussion about the cost of giveaways and the logistical burden of multiple events, the council first moved to reduce the summer Music on Main concert series and eliminate city-paid free food and drinks. That motion was later rescinded and replaced with a cap: council set a not-to-exceed budget of $65,000 for the Music on Main program, and directed staff to eliminate city-paid free food (hot dogs, kettle corn, ice cream and free T-shirts) but to allow vendors and sponsorships. Mayor Gheritano and director-level staff clarified that the city will continue to provide water at events and can pursue vendor partnerships and outside sponsors to offset costs.

On personnel costs, Council member Colleen Mabry moved to raise the salary-adjustment line to a 4.3% maximum (a 2.8% cost‑of‑living adjustment plus 1.5% merit pool). The motion passed by voice vote. The council instructed the city administrator to implement the available dollars consistent with personnel caps and performance-based allocations.

Council also considered the administration’s legislative consulting contract. After discussion about the consultant’s role advocating for city priorities in Jefferson City, the council voted to retain the $31,000 consulting line for 2026 and directed staff to evaluate the contract through the normal procurement cycle.

On capital projects, staff presented a scored “unfunded needs” list for the city’s half‑cent capital improvements sales tax fund, which generates roughly $3 million annually. The scoring matrix ranks projects by criteria such as grantability, urgency and public benefit; council added the Old State Road and Ridge roundabout to the unfunded list for formal scoring and future consideration.

The council also discussed the deer‑management program funded through a separate deer-management account created in 2023. Council directed staff to include a drone‑based thermal survey of deer density as part of the 2026 work plan to be conducted after the next calling/culling season; staff will coordinate timing with the Missouri Department of Conservation and with the contractor White Buffalo.

The work session was a request for direction; staff will consolidate committee feedback and return a single recommended budget for the Nov. 10 public hearing. The council emphasized that, while some events and giveaways will be reduced, the city aims to preserve the elements of city programming that residents value and to seek sponsorships or vendor models where feasible.

Quotes in this article are taken from the Oct. 27 council work session and attributed to speakers present at that meeting.