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 at the St. Louis County Council’s second special budget committee meeting as County Executive Charlie Dooley stood by his 2012 proposed budget, which includes the closure of 23 St. Louis County parks. 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’t provided to Dooley. “I haven’t received a plan from the chair …
Monday, November 21, 2011
The County Council's special budget committee meets tonight for the first time to see if the budget can be balanced without closing 23 parks.
We’re not alone. As a special committee of the St. Louis County Council meets tonight to discuss closing the budget shortfall without shuttering 23 parks, the National Recreation and Parks Association in Washington D.C. said parks departments across the country are seeing cuts—sometimes twice in a year, sometimes by as much as 30 or 40 percent. Finding funding for parks as public revenue dries up is “probably the hottest issue in public parks and recreation today,” said Rich Dolesh, vice president for conservation and parks for the association. Dolesh, who attended St. Louis University, said “virtually every agency in the county is being tasked with this.” But even in the national trend of slashing public parks, Dolesh said St. Louis …
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Nixon announced possible joint management as a solution to Dooley's parks-closing proposals.
The state and the county may be teaming up to save 23 parks, including two swimming pools, a community center and a petting zoo from budget cuts. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced today that the state is discussing joint state-county management of some of the county parks slated to close. The governor’s office offered Lone Elk Park as an example. Because the popular park is adjacent to Castlewood State Park, joint state-county operation could cut costs and keep the park open. “I am committed to working with County Executive (Charlie) Dooley and his team to explore ways we can help keep some of these parks open for Missourians,” Nixon said. Gov. Jay Nixon's interest in helping keep open some or all of the St. Louis County parks threatened …
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
We're weaving together updates, pictures, video, tweets and more from the Save Our Parks rally and the County Council budget hearing to help you find the answer to tonight's big question: Will the county close parks to keep the budget
Jason Wescoat
9:00 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Wow, someone stole two thirds of the world GDP and only you and the Occupy people, who can only make a point by continuously breaking the law, know about it? I should read more news... more ›