Council starts tweaking 2017 budget

Multiple changes include new positions, internship program

The Jefferson City Council has started making its mark on the mayor's draft 2017 budget, but whether the changes will make it to the final budget is yet to be determined.

At the Budget Committee meeting Thursday, council members began discussions of potential changes to the draft 2017 budget Mayor Carrie Tergin had presented at the end of July. Committee Chair and 1st Ward Councilman Rick Prather had established two rules for the committee - one being no changes could be made until all departments had presented their budgets and another to require any added expenses be offset by increased revenues in order to remain in the budget.

Several council members made successful motions to increase expenditures and fund some department requests. They now have until the end of the next budget meeting to present the revenue offset, or the items will be removed from the draft.

Second Ward Councilman J. Rick Mihalevich made a motion to re-institute the citywide internship program, which was cut three years ago, for $27,588, which was approved unanimously.

"I know there have been students that have gained quite a bit of experience," Mihalevich said.

Fourth Ward Councilman Carlos Graham made a motion to add $26,000 for a Police Department emergency notification system, which was listed on a pink sheet, meaning it was an unfunded request, and the motion was approved unanimously.

The request states the system would "allow the department to send notifications of pending severe weather or other emergency circumstances, as a redundant option to the severe weather sirens. The current sirens are for outdoor use only, and the police department regularly receives concerns from the community the alerts cannot be heard indoors."

"This is a huge, huge safety piece," Graham said. "I think this is something that is very well needed."

In a far more divisive issue, 3rd Ward Councilwoman Erin Wiseman made a motion to add $187,500 for rebuilding the Fire Department's burn building, also known as the Hyde Park training tower, which had been requested on through a Fire Department pink sheet.

No significant improvements have been made to the burn building site in more than 20 years or to the apparatus storage facility in more than 10 years, and the request states "as the host of the annual statewide fire school, continued investment is necessary to remain relevant and competitive."

"I think that it's an important thing to the community," Wiseman said, speaking of the economic impact on the area from the annual event.

But Mihalevich said he's been told Missouri is one of only three states that still has a fire school, and there's no guarantee it will continue.

"If we're hanging our hat on the future of the fire training school, I think that might be somewhat of a gamble," Mihalevich said.

Fifth Ward Councilman Larry Henry said though he supports the rebuild, he would like to look at other possible funds that could be used for it.

Ultimately, Wiseman's motion was approved 5-4, with Prather, Mihalevich, Henry and 1st Ward Councilman Jim Branch opposed. Third Ward Councilman Ken Hussey was not present at Thursday's meeting.

Second Ward Councilwoman Laura Ward made a motion to fund a second street worker position in the Public Works Department at a cost of $42,885. The department had requested two street worker positions through pink sheets, but only one was funded in the mayor's draft budget. The motion was approved unanimously.

The council members who successfully added expense items at Thursday's meeting will have the next week to find a revenue offset. The Budget Committee will meet again at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.