Update from the Mayor #2

Message from the Mayor Regarding the Budget

After numerous posted meetings taking place from May 1st to now, the Finance Way & Means Committee unanimously recommended a budget to the Board of Aldermen for approval. The Board then failed to pass the budget by certain aldermen not showing up or abstaining from voting. This is regretful. A fourth meeting was called this morning, July 4th to approve the city’s budget. Fortunately, all aldermen decided to show up and a motion was passed to extend the previous budget for another 2 weeks. Despite already having numerous open and publicly posted FW&M Committee meetings that these aldermen chose not to attend, we will now have more. The same numbers will be reviewed and the same budgetary constraints will be re-explained to the aldermen who again, failed to attend for the last 2 months. Despite surpassing the requirements laid out in the open meetings law for this Committee, the FW&M Committee will now post meetings at least 5 days in advance. The first meeting will be held on July 9th. The Chair of the FW&M Committee will thereafter schedule meetings as he deems appropriate. It will be interesting to see if the aldermen who chose to ignore the last 2 months of meetings will now show up and be prepared to intelligently and more importantly, honestly, discuss the budgetary issues the City must address. All City services, including sanitation are up and running and fully operational. As always, please feel free to call me with any questions.

Chandra Webster

Mayor

City of Valley Park

314-448-6465

The city needs 5 votes to pass any ordinance, including the budget. The Mayor cannot break a tie unless there is a tie. Therefore, until your alderman shows up for the meetings and actually vote (yes or no), we are stuck without a budget. The city cannot legally expend funds until a budget is passed. 

It is important to note the city's Finance Ways & Means Committee approved the city's budget by a unanimous vote. This recommendation went to the full board for approval. Unfortunately, four aldermen have chosen to either SKIP meetings or attend and abstain from voting. Tomorrow morning will be the fourth meeting. I have called to adopt a fiscally responsible budget moving forward. 

Again, this is a budget that was presented to FW&M by professional city management and then adopted unanimously by FW&M Committee. Yet some of your alderman who didn't even attend the finance meetings have decided to try to sabotage the city's efforts. You're elected officials need to show up and vote YES or NO.  If they vote Yes, we have an approved budget. If they vote No, we have an approved budget as I will break the tie. 

Bottom line Encourage your alderman to show up and vote. If anyone has further questions, please contact me at (314) 448-6465