Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Councilman Steve Stenger disagrees with the allocation for St. Louis County Parks as County Executive Charlie Dooley’s budget office reduces funding for the department.
The St. Louis County Parks Department is still $500,000 in the red despite laying off 20 employees and increasing revenue by $193,780. Those numbers were presented to the St. Louis County Council Tuesday in a plan meant to make the parks department more efficient. Acting Parks Director Tom Ott created a business plan that outlined a strategy to keep parks providing the basic services while reducing costs. The plan comes seven months after County Executive Charlie Dooley proposed closing 23 parks and laying off more than 100 employees because of a budget crisis. Early budget projections showed a $10 million deficit, according to the county executive. *At the end of the year, the county received unexpected revenues, leaving the parks open. …
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 …
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Employees say they 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 Tuesday. 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 about the 2012 county budget. On Oct. 31, Dooley submitted a budget to the…
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The economy and parks are high on his agenda for 2012.
Michael O’Mara (D-Florissant), District 4 was elected the new St. Louis County Council chair in the first council meeting of 2012. He takes the helm from Steve Stenger (D-Affton), the councilman for District 6. Kathleen Burkett (D-Overland), District 2, is now the vice chair. O’Mara is a Florissant native, and has been on the council since 2000. He was the chair, last, in 2007. He was an All-American soccer player before playing professionally in Kansas City and St. Louis. He joined the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562, and is currently an international representative for the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters. O’Mara’s priorities for St. Louis County for the year are all about the economy. He said in a …
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
After a tumultuous two-month period that included threats of park shutdowns, protests and the possible closing of a West County satellite office, council members sign off on a $357 million budget.
The St. Louis County Council has approved a $357 million budget that spares county parks and averts the shutdown of a satellite office in West County. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the budget plan will include cuts in staff through layoffs and through allowing vacant positions to remain unfilled — including 10 positions in the county police department. The Post says those positions do not include patrol officers. The cuts could involve as many as 50 employees. “That won’t be decided until January, where we’re at with those positions,” councilman Mike O’Mara, D-Florissant, told KMOX. The biggest hit is likely to come from the parks department; while no parks will be closed, the department budget is down from $26 million to $22.6 …
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
County Executive Charlie Dooley said all St. Louis County Parks will remain open.
Less than five minutes into Tuesday’s St. Louis County Council meeting, County Executive Charlie Dooley made the announcement that all 23 St. Louis County Parks slated for closure in 2012 will stay open. “The things that we’ve compromised on is that we’re going to leave all of our parks systems open… we will keep the West County satellite office open as well, and we will keep the plowing in unincorporated St. Louis County,” he said. The county executive emphasized a team effort in not only adjusting the 2012 budget, but also looking ahead for long-term solutions to what he originally predicted to be a $26 million budget deficit. “There may be lingering issues in the future about how large a deficit was or wasn’t, or if it exists. Those don…
Thursday, December 1, 2011
County Council Chairman Steve Stenger (D-District 6) said he did not say anything insulting.
County Executive Charlie Dooley called for an apology from County Council Chairman Steve Stenger (D-District 6) about his comments on the Mark Reardon Show Wednesday. “In trying to insult me, Mr. Stenger demeaned and insulted the people of St. Louis County—many of whom do not have a college degree,” Dooley said in a release Thursday. Stenger was a guest on the show and discussed the 2012 recommended county budget and the special committee he formed to create alternative suggestions to the proposed closure of 23 St. Louis County Parks. Reardon asked Stenger what background Dooley had specifically to the budget. This was after the two discussed Stenger’s 18-year history as a certified public accountant specializing in state and local taxes…
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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…
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’…
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
More than 60 people spoke at the public hearing on the recommended 2012 county budget.
Lily Springer is worried about the animals that live in the 23 St. Louis County Parks slated for closure in the 2012 recommended county budget. The 10-year-old spoke to a crowd of more than 120 at a public hearing Tuesday night that gave residents the opportunity to voice their concerns about the budget. She also brought a petition signed with 241 signatures of adults in favor of saving the parks. “I love the parks,” she said. “Did you ever think about the animals who live there in their natural homes in the parks? Please keep the parks for the children now and in the future.” After speaking, she asked County Executive Charlie Dooley to wear an “I Love Parks” sticker, given out earlier that day at a rally in support of saving the parks. …
Russ Rosener
3:00 pm on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
How about we just take money from Dooley's Paycheck and fire the cronies he has put in government jobs, and give that money to the Park Department? Too bad Dooley isn't up for election this year. I hope people will remember what a crook he is in 2 years.... more ›