Webster Groves Unveils $29 Million Proposed Budget

Webster Groves unveiled its nearly $29 million proposed 2012 budget at a recent public hearing. With funding for upgrades to the city’s police and fire departments, major road projects and healthy expenditures versus revenues, the city looks to be in strong financial shape for 2012.

The city will carry forward $188,188 to balance the current year budget with revenue and transfers to the city’s general fund totaling $14,836,901 and expenditures totaling $15,025,089. The budget projects a general fund end of year reserve of $11,209,236. Revenues and expenditures in the city’s general fund increased slightly for fiscal year 2012 compared to fiscal year 2011.

The proposed budget maintains all city services, Director of Finance Joan Jadali noted.

“Considering the fact that we still are able to maintain all the city services that we’ve had in past, even with the economy still lagging behind, says a lot for us and how we manage our finances,” she said. “We believe we have a stable city government that is in fine shape.”

Capital improvement projects comprise about $10 million in the proposed budget. Funding for capital improvements come from sales and property taxes, as well as grants. The 2012 proposed budget does not reflect an increase in taxes to residents.

The fire department will receive a new ladder truck, assuming the city council approves the proposed budget, which will replace an existing 2000 year model. The purchase is the city's most expensive vehicle purchase at $790,000 to be paid for out of the city’s capital improvement sales tax fund.

The city’s police department will receive funds for Live Scan, a computer digitized fingerprinting system, which will decrease manual booking time, as well as FBI identification response time, the city says in the budget. The technology costs $40,000. The budget also includes funding for the police department to implement a web-based city-wide crime map that will be accessible through a link on the city’s website.

Other notable capital projects include improvements to South Rock Hill Road and . Eighty percent of the projects' combined cost of about $3.5 million will be funded by grants. Additionally, $4.3 million in street improvements will be funded by the passage of Proposition W last August. Funding will repair all or part of the 148 streets throughout Webster Groves.

"We haven't had a deficit since 2002; that's nine years,” Mayor Gerry Welch said. “We owe our staff much thanks and congratulations for our healthy financial situation.”

City Manager Steven J. Wylie noted that the budget calls for no cuts in benefits or layoffs for city employees, with a small number of raises. “Not every city can say that,” he said.

The council will vote whether to approve the proposed budget at its next meeting June 21 at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall.