Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Alderman Andy Leahy tried to cut it to 1 percent, but it failed five votes to three.
After three Ways and Means Committee meetings over two months, discussing the Brentwood 2013 budget, it was on the agenda for the board of aldermen Monday night. Alderman Andy Leahy started the discussion, moving to amend the budget, switching out a 3 percent merit pay increase for city employees, for a 1 percent raise. I want to “eliminate some costs and still maintain a balanced budget,” he said. He said the excess can go into the reserve fund or be used as needed. When mayor Pat Kelly said the budget is balanced ($17,503,495 revenues, $17,058,991 expenditures) Leahy said he wanted to increase the revenue to expenditure differential even wider. “In your scenario, you won’t have a balanced budget,” Kelly said. “You’ll have more revenue …
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Ways and Means Committee met on Oct. 29 and worked toward approving the 2013 budget.
The Brentwood Ways and Means Committee discussed city employee compensation, salaries, and revenue from the ice rink and traffic fines, among other topics, as it worked toward approving the 2013 budget. The committee met on Oct. 29, and didn't get to an approved budget in the meeting. Alderwoman Maureen Saunders asked City Administrator Bola Akande why a three percent pay raise is recommended in the proposed budget. “It’s what other communities are doing, it’s what we can afford, and we want to stay competitive.” Akande said the cost to the city for a city-wide three percent raise would be $195,000, which could be paid, and still have money left over to add to the city’s reserve. Alderman Andy Leahy said the raise should be reduced from …
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Hancock amendment had reduced the library tax over the years, which complicated the increase approved by voters in August.
Brentwood residents will pay the tax they were told they would pay when they passed Brentwood’s Proposition L on August 7. That may seem obvious, and right, but getting there wasn't easy. The decision was the result of heated discussions at the Ways and Means Committee meeting Tuesday and a quickly-called library board meeting Wednesday. At issue, was the definition of the rate residents are currently paying. They are paying approximately 15 cents per $100 of valuation, but it could have been more. That’s because the same year Brentwood voters last approved a library tax levy, 1984, the Hancock Amendment went into effect, which rolled back taxes. So while voters approved a 25-cent rate, they never actually paid it. So in August, voters …
Kramer hasn't been happy with Brentwood's low reserve, and doesn't like mayor Kelly's idea of taxing residents as a possible fix.
Brentwood alderman Tom Kramer says the city's budget reserve is insufficient. Kramer is on the Brentwood Ways and Means Committee, and the reserve was a topic of discussion at Tuesday's meeting. Maureen Saunders, also on the committee, said there is less than a month's expenses in reserve. Kramer said he's brought it up over the years, and has been told not to worry, because residents are not taxed on things they could be taxed on, which would bring in revenue if needed. Kramer further explained his statement in an email to Patch. "For years, the city has not assessed, nor collected residential real estate taxes or residential utility taxes. We could, but we don’t. "Our residential property tax rate is zero. Our residential utility taxes …
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Brentwood alderwoman doesn't like a proposal that department heads report to the city administrator and not committees.
Brentwood Ward 2 alderwoman Cindy Manestar sent her constituents an email on what she called a "hot topic." In the Aug. 13 email newsletter, which was forwarded to Patch and she gave permission to use, Manestar expressed a concern about changes to Brentwood's organizational structure that she said does not meet its current codes. Instead of department heads reporting to a committee, they will report to the city administrator. "This drastic structure change would alter the duties and responsibilities of each level of government within our city and minimalize the role of the board of aldermen. It would remove the board from involvement in certain steps and processes that we currently oversee," she stated in her newsletter. “So if you sum …
Friday, September 2, 2011
Operating with a line-item budget is a best practice that the city previously failed to follow, city administrator Bola Akande said.
Brentwood city administrator Bola Akande instituted another significant change in the city: the implementation of an annual line-item budget. In a line-item budget, specific expenses, ranging from office supplies to individual employee salaries, are accounted for in distinct lines. Narratives will be attached to each item, Akande said. If Brentwood sends an employee to a training conference, a narrative will outline when and where that training will occur, she said. The city previously operated in a pool budget that outlined how much total money is budgeted for each department. Finding specific expenses—the amount of money spent on city vehicles, for example—wasn't available to the public or elected officials. Akande presented the new …
38.618496
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Brentwood City Hall
2348 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO
/articles/brentwood-will-outline-specific-expenses-in-2012-budget
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Monday, August 29, 2011
After approving a plan in April to seek a $9 million bond issue, the Brentwood Public Works Committee asks for an update.
Last Monday, a Brentwood aldermanic committee briefly discussed whether the city should seek a $9 million bond issue to pay for a renovated Brentwood Recreation Complex. The Public Works Committee asked for an update on the issue, which the committee originally discussed several months ago. Following the committee's approval to seek a $9 million bond issue from Brentwood voters, the full Brentwood Board of Aldermen sent the issue to the Ways and Means Committee for further discussion. But the aldermen haven't made any progress on the debate. Ways and Means is expected to hold a discussion during a meeting on Wednesday afternoon. "We've got to decide, and it better be soon," said Ward 3 Alderman Keith Robertson during last Monday's meeting…
38.615523
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Brentwood Recreation Complex
2505 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO
/articles/rec-center-debate-remains-stagnant
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A potential $9 million bond issue was set to be discussed during a committee meeting today.
A meeting to discuss a potential $9 million bond issue that would pay for a renovated Brentwood Recreation Complex has been postponed until next week. The Brentwood Ways and Means Committee planned to meet today to discuss the bond issue but canceled because Ward 3 Alderman Andrew Leahy is out of town. The entire Board of Aldermen will likely attend next week's meeting, said Ward 2 Alderman Mike Marshall, the committee's chairman. A new meeting time hasn't been confirmed. Leahy, who voted against a potential bond issue during a Brentwood Public Works Committee meeting in late April, has several questions about the issue, Marshall said. "He had some questions about how we were going to pay for the running of (the complex)," Marshall said. …
38.618496
-90.348479
Brentwood City Hall
2348 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO
/articles/city-discussion-on-potential-bond-issue-postponed
1427354
/locations/4671039
Stewie
7:18 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. The real Mr. (period) Completely should therefore then be flattered - however, I doubt he would appreciate your use of 'his' sign on for your own commentary. more ›