The St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Friday approved a budget for next fiscal year that makes no major changes in spending levels.
The board voted 11-3 to send the budget to Mayor Tishaura Jones. She must sign it before Monday, which is the start of the 2025 fiscal year.
Most of the increases in the $1.3 billion spending plan come from pay raises that were already negotiated in previous contracts. Aldermen were able to move some funding from the Department of Correction and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to increase staffing for Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.
But the hold-steady budget reflects uncertainty about the overall economy, as well as the city’s 1% earnings tax, which makes up a third of its general revenue fund. Earlier this month, the collector of revenue agreed to refund the tax paid by certain remote workers, at an estimated cost of $26 million. But 8th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer, the chair of the budget committee and a candidate for mayor, said she was not sure if that would be enough.
And, she said, she could not get answers from the people who came up with the $26 million figure.
“It’s really hard for us at the Board of Aldermen, the legislative body, to do our due diligence if we’re not given the tools,” she said.
Jones plans to name members of a task force to study the city’s revenue streams in the next two weeks. Spencer said she is pleased by the establishment of the Long-Term Revenue Advisory Council.
The inability of aldermen to make major changes to the city’s spending plans prompted 4th Ward Alderman Bret Narayan to cast one of the three votes against the budget.
Board members, he said, heard from multiple departments that they did not have the funding to do their jobs. “When we get a budget that doesn’t have enough funds for the departments to function correctly, we can’t fix that,” Narayan said.
Changes proposed by the city’s Charter Commission would give aldermen much more spending authority than they currently have. But all those measures would require the approval of the voters.
Airport funding
Also going to the mayor Friday by a unanimous vote were two measures that move forward the construction of a single terminal at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport.
One measure authorizes the city to borrow up to $650 million for various capital improvement programs at Lambert. Those bonds would be paid for with revenue from the airport itself. The second measure lists the projects those bonds could be used for, including the demolition of a number of buildings, a new baggage claim in Terminal 2 and HVAC and runway upgrades across the airport. The funds could also be used to design the new single-terminal facility.
Jail access
Aldermen on Friday gave initial approval to two measures that make it clear who can access the City Justice Center and when.
The first bill ensures that attorneys can speak to clients being held at the CJC or other correctional facilities between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. without getting prior approval. Visits outside of those times would require just an hour’s notice, as would all visits where the attorney wanted to meet with a client without any kind of physical barrier. Attorneys would also be able to bring in their phones and laptops.
The measure codifies an April 2024 order from 22nd Circuit Judge Elizabeth Hogan. Any jail employee who denies an attorney access to their clients could face fees of up to $500.
“This bill doesn’t do anything crazy,” said its sponsor, 7th Ward Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier. “Honestly I think what is a little crazy is the fact that we have to legislate constitutional rights.”
A companion bill sets up similar guidelines for jail access by local elected officials, the Detention Facilities Oversight Board and clergy members.
Abortion regulations
Also getting first-round approval on Friday was a piece of legislation that clears all language around abortions and reproductive health from the city code.
“These ordinances, while they’ve been on the books for many, many decades, have not actually been enforced by the city,” said Spencer, the sponsor. “But they put the city in a very precarious potentially legally dangerous position” if voters in November enshrine the right to an abortion in Missouri’s constitution.
The above bills, as well as one establishing a new policy for planning and designing roadways known as Complete Streets, are all on tap to go to the mayor on July 12.
Aldermen were originally set to go on summer break after that meeting until Sept. 6. But board President Megan Green has scheduled two additional meetings to make sure aldermen can review and approve any proposals from the Charter Commission in time for the November ballot.
