Want to have a say on how the city spends our money? Now is the perfect time.
The city's budget process just began, with Mayor Carrie Tergin presenting her budget to the City Council, acting as the Budget Committee. Over the next two months or so, the council will go over each part of the budget and make adjustments where it determines they are needed.
This is where you come in. As your elected representatives, the council's job is to listen to its constituents about how our city government operates. Many of those priorities are determined in the budget process.
As we recently reported, the council is especially considering three funding requests in the 2022 budgets: solutions for staffing issues, replacing vehicles at the end of their life and a need for modernization.
Initial council discussion also focused around unfunded requests, often called "pink sheets," where departments lay out a need and the justification for funding it.
Of the 88 pink sheets in the mayor's approved budget, 11 would receive at least partial funding. The Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department did not file any pink sheets this year.
Between departments, there are 12 requests for additional staff, which would add 17 positions for a cost of $1,115,767 should they all receive funding.
Requests include three police officer trainees, six firefighters/EMS workers, a deputy fire chief, a fire marshal/safety officer, a 911 operator, one building maintenance worker and four office staff positions.
As it stands, none of the positions would receive funding.
The largest request for modernization is the Police Department's $475,000 request for body and vehicle cameras.
If funded, the request would provide cameras for 80 officers and 39 in-vehicle cameras.
These are just a few of the budget discussions the city is starting.
We suspect few local residents will follow the budget process, much less make recommendations to their council representatives. If that's true, your voice might be heard all the louder.