Forest Park council tables FY2026–27 budget after questions about revenues and new positions

City finance staff presented a proposed FY2026–27 operating budget and capital improvement plan totaling $46,439,729 and outlined capital requests for public safety, streets, fleet and facilities. The finance presentation said projected general fund revenues for FY2027 were $46.4 million and described a negotiated employee benefits renewal that reduced a carrier renewal proposal from about 25% to a 6.5% increase.

Residents and council members pressed for clarity on the city’s actual recent revenues and reserves, and on multiple proposed personnel additions. A public commenter and council members noted that FY2026 actual revenues to date were materially below earlier projections, and several councilors asked for verification of revenue assumptions before approving recurring new personnel costs. One attendee urged that an "executive director" or similar new clerk-level position was premature; others wanted explicit part-time/full-time designations and salary justifications for proposed roles.

Council members said such structural staffing and reclassification decisions should be evaluated by the incoming permanent city manager. After discussion, council voted to table the FY2026–27 budget to allow staff to rework revenue and reserve numbers, clarify proposed positions and costs, and provide additional analysis. City legal staff noted that if the council does not adopt a final budget within the statutory interval, the prior year’s budget would continue temporarily; staff said they would advertise a revised hearing and could return with a final adoption as soon as late June if schedules allow.

No appropriation changes were made at the meeting. Council directed staff to publish revised documents, verify reserve and revenue positions and return with more precise personnel cost breakdowns and timeline options for final adoption.