Trash Talk: Mayor Says Trash Service Not In Budget Jeopardy

Ellisville's City Council will continue deliberations over the 2014 budget next week, with Mayor Adam Paul promising that trash collection will be part of the city's plans. A preliminary budget presented by city staff suggested eliminating the service as a way of helping to balance the budget.

"Residents don't have to worry," Paul said Wednesday after a budget hearing the previous night. "We are not dissolving our trash pickup."

The preliminary draft found more than $1.3 million in proposed cuts, including trash, brush and leaf pickup, improvements to the city's website, and budgeted funds for police handguns. Council members voted to have the preliminary draft taken off the city's website.

Irrespective of the status of trash collection, there does appear to be division about the way city revenues are trending. Mayor Adam Paul vehemently said Wednesday that the city was "financially sound when it comes to revenue streams," and that sales tax revenues have risen the last three years. "We're not in a budget crunch," he said.

Councilman Matt Pirrello said via text "Our revenues are down and we have to make cuts. It doesn't matter what our tax rate is without businesses generating revenue." Prior to Tuesday's budget session, Councilwoman Cindy Pool, also via text, added "After studying the revenue and expenditures, we are obviously not where want to be."

A Patch review of the numbers provided by city officials shows that taken together, Ellisville's four sales tax revenue streams have grown from $4,250,848 in 2009 (when there were only three streams--a sales tax for Capital projects was not in effect until 2011) to $5,547,972 in 2012. 

Individually, the stream that saw 2012 bring in less than 2011 was the city's Stormwater Sales Tax.

According to Ellisville Finance Director Don Cary, the city's 2013 budget anticipated a decrease in sales tax receipts, which has also shown up in preliminary projections. Cary said council members would have a chance to look at new projections by next Wednesday, when more budget talk is expected.

The council must pass a budget by January 1.