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DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the
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The 2007 fiscal year ended June 30 revealing a $2.98 million general fund budget surplus. Comptroller Darlene Green attributed the surplus to some higher than estimated revenue source receipts and allocated funds left unspent by some city departments.
"We beat last year’s earnings tax receipts by 3.6 percent or $4.7 million," said Green. "This really helped cover some revenue sources that were down from last year, like the amusement tax receipts."
Other notable revenue sources that beat FY 06 returns were intergovernmental receipts that include gasoline and auto sales taxes and prisoner housing reimbursements (up $5.0 million or 21.2%); hotel and restaurant tax (up $588,000 or 5.1%); and sales tax (up $1.4 million or 3.0%). Property tax receipts were also up 8.3 percent, but that was attributed mostly to an increase in delinquent tax payments.
City Budget Director Paul Payne agrees that the 2007 fiscal year surplus is a welcome change over past years.
"The surplus, while modest, is a positive development. It says good things about the city's economic growth, which along with continued vigilance on spending, are the keys for ensuring future budgets can meet the city's needs," said Payne.
The year end results cited above are unaudited and represent preliminary calculations. The official, audited results will be published later this year in the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
Comptroller Darlene Green today issued the following short statement on Ballpark Village:
"The comptroller's office met today with city officials regarding financing for Ballpark Village and is encouraging that minority participation requirements be met. I am calling for minority participants to be named in the project redevelopment agreement as it is being developed."
Green Reserving Comment on Park Deal, Slay Lists Improvements and Supporters
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Friday, January 19, 2007 at 5:46 PM
The following statement is from John Farrell, Comptroller Darlene Green's spokesman...
"The comptroller believes people on both sides of this issue have strong points. On one side are the citizens and taxpayers who want to protect their parks and have a say in plans to develop park land. On the other side is the city's largest medical facility that serves thousands of disadvantaged residents each year and is an economic engine for the community.
"The comptroller intends to move forward in an effort to bridge the gap on these two very valid viewpoints and hopefully reach a compromise solution. She is working now to hold meetings beginning next week with both sides that focus on common ground and building consensus instead of rehashing differences. This issue is too important to our community on a number of levels for us to settle for anything less than a mutual agreement.
"The comptroller is reserving comment on the new lease plan revealed today until after these meetings and, hopefully, a compromise is reached."
UPDATE: Meanwhile, Mayor Francis Slay has posted on his website a list of improvements in the latest version of the plan. He also says this deal, which he admits is "much better than originally proposed" (he supported the old one too), now has the support of Forest Park Forever and the Forest Park Advisory Board.
According to Slay, here is how the proposal is better:
The size of the land covered by the lease has been reduced to 9.4 acres. In addition, BJC has agreed to set aside no less than 15 percent of the land for green space, effectively reducing the developable space by another 1.4 acres.
Even though the amount of acreage is smaller, BJC has agreed to raise its lease payments to $2 million per year. All of that money will be put into a trust. It can only be invested to maintain Forest Park.
One-and-a-half acres of land south of Clayton Road will be protected. A new park will be created with playground equipment and tennis courts. The new park will be more convenient for families in Forest Park Southeast. BJC will light the park, and provide security and maintenance.
Some of the tennis courts at Triple A will be improved and made available to the general public at no cost. The handball courts behind the visitor’s center will also be expanded and improved.
In all, BJC has agreed to set aside $1 million to pay for the changes and improvements.
Forest Park Forever has agreed to match at least $1.8 million per year. Combined with the $2 million from the BJC lease, that means at least $3.8 million per year in dedicated revenue will be available to maintain Forest Park.
In addition, $1.6 million in General Revenue will be freed up. That money will be set aside to help maintain the City’s other 104 parks. In the first year, that money will be invested within a mile-and-a-half of the Hudlin location to create new green space or recreational opportunities.
The Board of Aldermen seem to be rushing to get this deal passed before the voters can have a say in the matter through the ballot initiative recently approved for the April ballot.
Comptroller Darlene Green has joined in the call for public hearings before any state action on St. Louis Public Schools.
"I support the community's call for the State Department of Education to conduct a public hearing on the St. Louis public schools report," said Green in a statement released today.
"With the School Board election just three months away, the state and the committee should consider that a change in board members may be all it takes to end the turmoil. A state takeover, on the other hand, could result in a continuation of the political controversy instead of focusing efforts on what’s best for the children"
"Any of the committee’s recommendations, short of a takeover, need broad public support to be successful. A public hearing on the issue here in St. Louis would go a long way towards doing just that," said Green.
Last week State Rep-elect Jamilah Nasheedsent a letter to the president of the State Board of Education requesting such a public hearing.
VIDEO: Citywide Elected Officials Join for Back to School Message
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 at 9:31 PM
Several citywide elected officials joined today to bring attention to the effort to get St. Louis kids to attend the first day of school on August 28.
Gathered in the rotunda of City Hall, the group included most of the city's at-large officeholders. But noticeably absent was Mayor Francis Slay.
After unprecedented influence over the city's school district for three years, Slay has been a vocal critic of the new school board majority and has even called on the state to move in to take over the troubled district. Reporters were told that Slay -- as well as Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, the second highest ranking city official -- was on vacation.
Comptroller Darlene Green told reporters not to read too much into the absence of the mayor or a representative from his office. "This message is not about the adults today. It's about the children," she said.
"Though there are troubled times in the district, we want the children to know that the elected leadership in the City of St. Louis stands behind them 100%," said Green.
City's credit improves, Comptroller again says TIFs should be reduced
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Friday, June 02, 2006 at 6:55 PM
Comptroller Darlene Green's office today announced that the City of St. Louis' credit rating has again been bumped up.
Green said Standard & Poor's Ratings Service upgraded the city's credit rating from "A-" to "A with a stable outlook." Fitch Ratings and Moody's Investors Service also affirmed their "A-" and "A3" ratings, respectively, and raised their long-term outlooks from stable to positive on the city's $45.2 million of outstanding general obligation bond debt. General obligation debt is backed by the city’s property tax revenue and used mostly for public safety expenses.
A good credit rating lets the city borrow money at a lower interest rate resulting in decreased costs to taxpayers. This is the sixth credit rating upgrade for the City since Green became Comptroller in 1995.
Green, the City's chief financial officer, said the positive financial outlook shows that St. Louis is in a position to ask for more from potential developers.
"To keep our ratings at current levels and to raise them even higher requires greater fiscal responsibility now and in the future. The tax abatement and Tax Increment Financing that jump started our economy needs to be reduced now to ensure tax revenue will keep pace with the demand for city services," said Green.
Green has been at odds with Mayor Francis Slay on this issue. Slay has maintained that allowing developers -- especially downtown developers -- to pay no property taxes is in the best interest of the City because it encourages people to move downtown.
The Comptroller has suggested that the benefit be reduced to force developers and new loftbuyers to pay at least some -- maybe as much as 50% -- of the taxes they would normally owe so the City can keep up with expenses such as education funding, which comes primarily from property taxes.
An exchange between Ald. Lyda Krewson and Ivy Neyland-Pinkston, deputy comptroller, at yesterday's meeting of the Forest Park Lease Review Committee highlighted tensions between Comptroller Darlene Green's Office and the office of Mayor Francis Slay.
The committee is made up of five people selected by Slay to "independently" review the financial terms of the proposed lease, a duty usually reserved for the Comptroller.
Alderman Fred Wessels questioned Jim Garavaglia, the city asset manager from the Comptroller's Office, about why another appraisal wasn't done sooner.
Krewson also asked Garavaglia why some of the Comptroller's concerns were not addressed earlier.
Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. said his focus was on minority participation in future construction projects related to the Barnes lease and the longterm plans the hospital may have for that area.
Committee member Tom Reeves, president of Pulaski Bank and former head of Downtown Now, questioned whether the lease amount shouldn't be discounted since that land is currently under lease by Barnes for several more decades and the city can't get any more revenure from the land other than from Barnes.
Alderman Bosley said the longer the committee "fools with" this lease agreement, the more public scrutiny will come. "It's like stirring mess," said Bosley. "If it crusts over it don't stink so bad. But the more your turn it, the worse it's gone stink."
After the meeting, one committee member was overheard saying, "He (Garavaglia) fucked up. That's why he was so nervous."
VIDEO: Aide outlines Green's objections to Barnes-Forest Park deal
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Friday, May 19, 2006 at 4:27 PM
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE
Jim Garavaglia, from Comptroller Darlene Green's office, explained to the Forest Park Lease Review Committee today the Comptroller's issues with the current proposal to amend Barnes Hospital's lease of a portion of Forest Park.
He said that three things led to the Comptroller's objections to the Planning Commission moving forward with the proposed lease renegotiation two weeks ago:
(1) The appraisal being considered was outdated, (2) the hospital has not made known its plans for the land, and (3) an agreement has not yet been reached on whether the playgrounds and tennis courts currently on the 9 acres of park land will be relocated at Barnes' expense -- and where to?
Garavaglia also outlined the history of the Comptroller's Office's involvement with this deal, which dated back to September 2004.
Committee Chair Lyda Krewson, along with Ald. Fred Wessels, questioned why Green (who was not at the hearing) or her staff did not seek the answers to these questions earlier.
Ald. Steve Conway, who is also an accountant, questioned Garavaglia about the new appraisal figure which he presented to the committee today. Conway suggested that some of the figures used to reach the new number may be exaggerated.
Check back for more videos from the meeting later...
At the first meeting of the Forest Park Lease Review Committee on Wednesday, two committee members leveled some pointed criticisms at Comptroller Darlene Green.
Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward) said Green "has really gotten personal in this matter and has some opinions that are not based upon all of the information that should be available."
The Comptroller has said that she would like to see an up-to-date appraisal of 12 acres of park land before the city moves forward with renegotiating a lease agreement with Barnes Hospital that would last until almost the next century.
Alderman Fred Wessels (13th Ward) questioned Gary Bess, the director of the Parks Department, about the Comptroller's involvement when negotiations of this deal began. Bess said that Jim Garavaglia, from Green's office, was involved in the discussions. He said that Green's office even selected the firm which conducted the last appraisal.
Garavaglia told the City Planning Commission two weeks ago that the year-old appraisal was out of date. He also said that Green felt that details of Barnes' plans for the land are still unknown.
"Their intentions are unclear, unspoken and should be revealed to both the City and the community," he said.
The Forest Park Lease Review Committee is made up of five members selected by Mayor Francis Slay to review, as Ald. Steve Conway put it, whether the city is getting a fair price for the land, "not whether or not it's a good deal."
Members are Wessels, Bosley, Conway, Chairperson Lyda Krewson, and Tom Reeves, former head of Downtown Now and the new president of Pulaski Bank. They are scheduled to meet again on Friday.
"We beat last year’s earnings tax receipts by 3.6 percent or $4.7 million," said Green. "This really helped cover some revenue sources that were down from last year, like the amusement tax receipts." 
