More budget items are expected to be heard at the last St. Louis County Council meeting of 2017.
The Council on Tuesday will attempt to pass multiple pieces of legislation that deal with the FY2018 budget for St. Louis County. Some of these bills focus on adopting a budget for the general fund, special road and bridge fund, and health fund to name a few.
In addition to budget legislation, Councilman Sam Page has a bill that would appropriate $3 million from the unappropriated balance of the general fund for the St. Louis County Police Department overtime pay.
The legislation was requested by St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar who sent a letter to both the St. Louis County Council and St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger earlier this month.
The police chief said over $1.6 million was needed to provide a police presence during the Stockley verdict unrest in September.
In addition, police officers working overtime during that Stockley verdict, Belmar said extra hours were needed from county police when the Meramec River flooded earlier this fall.
According to Belmar, the overtime expenses were directly related to staffing levels in an “operation that works 24/7/365” and has depleted the St. Louis County Police Department’s overtime budget.
The bill is in its second reading, and if approved it could go into a final passage vote sometime early next year.
After Tuesday’s meeting, the Council will be back on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018.