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County revenue official warns of service delays, possible furloughs and urges use tax; asks for $200,000 to hire liquor-license inspectors
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Summary
An official from the St. Louis County Department of Revenue told county leaders that budget cuts have left the department understaffed, producing nearly four-month waits for documents and raising the prospect of employee furloughs; he urged placing a use tax on the ballot and requested $200,000 to add two inspectors to enforce illegal video lottery terminals.
An official speaking for the St. Louis County Department of Revenue told the council that budget reductions have left the department unable to meet demand for essential services, that some waits for documents are "almost 4 months," and that furloughs are possible this summer if additional funds are not provided.
The official said the department handles marriage and liquor licenses, deed recording and tax collection, and generates roughly $26,000,000 in fees while receiving only $10,000,000 in appropriations this year. He warned that the shortfall has forced staffing cuts that lengthen wait times for property tax receipts, marriage licenses and documents residents need to apply for the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).
"The wait time in county government to receive these documents now are almost 4 months," the official said, adding that the department has been inundated with requests and is "already understaffed." He said that if no additional funding is provided, the Department of Revenue may not have sufficient resources "to meet payroll by July."
The official also discussed enforcement of video lottery terminals (referred to in the transcript as BLTs). He said a federal judge recently found those machines to be illegal gambling devices under Missouri law and that the department had notified more than 400 county liquor-license holders. The department has not had liquor-license inspectors in about 15 years and has asked the county council to add $200,000 to the department's budget to hire two inspectors.
"To enforce these ordinances, we need inspectors to go into the businesses and make sure that they are in compliance," he said. Absent dedicated inspectors, the department plans to use existing code enforcement officers as a stopgap to inspect businesses and issue violation notices; the director of revenue can suspend or revoke a county liquor license if machines are not removed.
Council members questioned whether the $200,000 request should be prioritized when the county faces possible furloughs and asked whether prosecutorial actions by the county prosecutor and attorney general would make county inspections unnecessary. The official replied that prosecutorial timing is discretionary and that the county has an administrative duty to enforce local ordinances, so inspections remain a separate responsibility.
As a longer-term remedy, the official urged that the county place a use tax on the ballot. He said the tax has been considered previously and is supported by the county municipal league and local businesses that view it as leveling the playing field between brick-and-mortar and online retailers. He estimated it would take roughly six months after passage before new revenue is available to the county and said one-time reserves remain necessary to sustain operations until then.
The official pointed to county reserves and settlements as potential sources for bridging the gap, noting a $9,000,000 special projects legacy fund and an approximately $115,000,000 NFL settlement fund. He also said the county closed the 2025 budget year with an unanticipated $15,000,000 surplus; he argued some one-time funds could be used to keep core services running while the use tax revenue ramps up.
The official described examples of recent service reductions, including reduced hours, closing the West County office and closing two of four county swimming pools this summer, and said more cuts could follow if new revenue is not secured. He repeatedly framed the budget cuts as a deliberate decision by the county council that is harming service delivery.
The session included questions about the potential scope and timing of furloughs; the official said the county is reviewing each department line by line, that furloughs remain a possibility if appropriations are insufficient, and that he could not at the time put a definitive number on how many employees would be affected. The official said the county employs about 4,000 people.
The meeting transcript records no vote or final decision on the $200,000 inspector request or on placing the use tax before voters. The official closed by saying he would answer questions and council members thanked him; there was no recorded motion or outcome in the provided transcript.
