By Mike Anthony
Executive Editor
news1@callnewspapers.com

The Green Park Board of Aldermen approved the city’s 2018 budget that includes funding for two major road projects last month.

The 2018 budget projects general fund revenues totaling $2,741,556 with anticipated expenditures of $3,050,400 — a deficit of $308,844. City officials project a total general fund balance of $2,693,077 on Dec. 31. Of that amount, $1,167,877 is unreserved.

The city’s capital improvements fund anticipates revenues totaling $1,374,400 with projected expenditures of $1,675,000 — a deficit of $300,600. With a beginning balance of $396,733, a fund balance of $96,133 is anticipated on Dec. 31.

Across both funds, the city’s 2018 budget projects total revenues of $4,115,956 with expenditures of $4,725,400 — a deficit of $609,444.

The budget includes funding for the reconstruction of Green Park Road from Lin Valle Drive to the city limits at Interstate 55, including an 8-foot-wide pedestrian trail that will connect to Grant’s Trail, and the resurfacing of Mueller Road from South Lindbergh Boulevard to Green Park Road, including upgrading sidewalks.

Both projects will be funded through federal grants with the city paying 20 percent of the total cost.

The estimated cost of the Green Park Road project is $1.4 million, while the projected cost of the Mueller Road project is $1,125,000. The 2018 capital improvements fund also projects expenditures to-taling $550,000 for street replacement and repairs.

The two road projects significantly in-creased the city’s budget compared to 2017, City Administrator/City Clerk James Mello said.

The Board of Aldermen voted 4-0 Dec. 18 to adopt a resolution approving the 2018 budget and an amended 2017 budget.

Ward 1 Alderman Carol Hamilton and Ward 3 Alderman Joe Monteleone were absent.

No residents spoke during a public hearing on the budget.

The amended 2017 budget adopted by the board anticipates general fund revenues of $1,540,096 with projected expenditures of $1,485,300 — a surplus of $54,796.

With a beginning balance of $2,896,836 in the general fund, city officials projected an ending balance of $2,951,632 on Dec. 31, 2017. Of that amount, $2,229,432 is unreserved.

The amended 2017 capital improvements fund projects revenues of $450,000 with expenditures totaling $540,000 -— a deficit of $90,000.

With a beginning balance of $486,733, an ending balance of $396,733 was anticipated on Dec. 31, 2017.

Across both funds, the amended 2017 budget projects total revenue of $1,990,096 with expenditures totaling $2,025,300 — a deficit of $35,204.

The city’s sales-tax revenues are projected to continue to increase, Mello told aldermen.

For the past year, the city received nearly $200,000 in additional sales-tax revenue from the county’s 1-percent sales tax.

In addition, Green Park now will receive roughly $130,000 in sales-tax revenue from the county’s Proposition P half-cent sales tax for police and public safety that was approved by voters in April.

“We had a pretty large increase in sales-tax revenues for this year. Going forward, there’s going to be the Prop P funds that are also going to be included in that. So they’re going to continue to rise,” Mello said, adding that he’s been conservative in his revenue projections “because we don’t want to be subject to the whims of the economy, but Green Park is doing really well from a sales-tax perspective. It’s expected to continue to rise …”

The Board of Aldermen voted Nov. 20  to adopt an ordinance amending its agreement with the St. Louis County Police Department to add a second neighborhood police officer for the city to be funded with $91,611.68 of the Prop P sales-tax revenue.

The city contracts with the county Police Department for police service, with one Green Park officer assigned during daytime hours to patrol the city.

With the board’s action, Officer Lacey McLean was assigned to the city, effective Dec. 1, to join Officer Jeremy Hake in patrolling the city.

Additional revenue from the Prop P sales tax will be used for police equipment ex-penditures, which have yet to be determined by the board, Mello said.

The 2018 budget also includes funding for technology upgrades at City Hall that will be used by Mello and Deputy City Clerk Diane DeLonjay.

The technology upgrades will include “a server that Diane and I can both work off of that will greatly improve our capabilities and communication abilities, and I think will streamline a lot of processes at City Hall,” Mello said.

In January 2014, aldermen purchased the Green Park Professional Building at 11100 Mueller Road for $1.39 million.

The city paid an additional $10,000 over the appraised value of $1.39 million as reimbursement for recent upgrades to the building, which contains eight suites. City Hall has been located in the building since the summer of 2004.

Revenue from tenants leasing space at City Hall during 2017 totaled $105,000, but before the city purchased the building, it was paying roughly $6,000 per month in rent.

For 2018, city officials anticipate receiving $100,000 in rental income.