Monday, July 23, 2012
The Parks Department will present a business plan to the St. Louis County Council after being the center of the 2012 budget discussion.
St. Louis County officials will hear a business plan for the Parks Department seven months after County Executive Charlie Dooley first threatened to close 23 county parks and lay off more than 170 employees, citing a budget crisis. The meeting will take place Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the St. Louis County Council conference room at 41 South Central Avenue in Clayton. Members of the county council—led by then-chairman Steve Stenger (D-Affton)—vehemently opposed Dooley’s initial 2012 budget proposal and questioned his office’s claim of a $10 million deficit. Parks activists also protested the closures, leading to several petitions and a rally outside county headquarters in Clayton. After forming a special budget committee, the council and …
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Employees were told their jobs were safe.
At age 43, Michele Whalen is looking for another job after almost three months of uncertainty. Whalen was one of 20 St. Louis County Parks employees who received lay-off notices on Jan. 24. An additional six employees were laid off in other departments. “They saved the parks, but they didn’t save our jobs,” she said. “At least now we know what was up, from Oct. 31 to Tuesday, we couldn’t do anything, we couldn’t plan anything. How would you like living your life like that?” Whalen has worked in the parks maintenance department at Jefferson Barracks Park for the last year, and was a seasonal employee for three years before that. The 26 layoffs come after a heated debate over the 2012 county budget. On Oct. 31, Dooley submitted a budget to …
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The General Fund gains $350,000 in the process. The final vote is next week.
To save all the county parks and keep snow plowing in unincorporated areas of St. Louis County, the St. Louis County Council voted Tuesday to adjust four funds from the original proposed 2012 budget. County Executive Charlie Dooley had made an announcement at the previous council meeting that a compromise was reached which saved 23 parks from closing. The General fund started out at $232,091,091 in County Executive Charlie Dooley’s original 2012 budget, which included closing the county parks. The amended amount passed last night was $232,441,091—an additional $350,000. Three department budgets saw adjustments. The council voted to pull $22,754,346 from unappropriated Park Maintenance funds, to go toward the Parks and Recreation Department…
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The 2012 budget must be passed before Dec. 31.
Tensions rose Tuesday night at the St. Louis County Council’s second special budget committee meeting when County Executive Charlie Dooley stood by his 2012 proposed budget, which includes the closure of 23 St. Louis County Parks. See related (Committe Discusses Potential Budget Solutions) The budget, which has been largely criticized by County Council Chairman Steve Stenger, also included laying off 173 employees in both the parks and code enforcement division. “Being the chairman of the county council does not give you the knowledge of the county budget in one year,” Dooley said. “You can’t know what you need to know.” Dooley said he hasn’t received anything from Stenger as the chairman. Stenger asked Dooley to elaborate on what he hasn’…
A special committee met Tuesday to brainstorm the 2012 proposed budget.
Two potential alternatives to closing county parks came out of Tuesday’s special budget committee meeting: moving money from the health fund to the parks fund and not filling current vacant positions in the county. (See related story: County Executive and Council Chairman divided over budget) County Council Chairman Steve Stenger formed the committee, headed by District 5 Rep. Mike O’Mara, to suggest alternatives to the proposed 2012 budget. The budget called for the closure of 23 St. Louis County Parks and 173 lay-offs. County Executive Charlie Dooley said the budget reflected a $26 million deficit in 2012. Chief Operating Officer Garry Earls presented the committee with a report that outlined answers to the their questions from the last…
Lauren Kopp
5:04 pm on Monday, July 23, 2012
Parks should not be considered a business but a necessity! more ›