ST. LOUIS – The Board of Estimate and Apportionment has approved sending the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the Board of Aldermen for review and approval. The $1.41 billion budget reflects a modest 0.2% increase over the previous fiscal year, prioritizing strategic investments in all City employees, public safety infrastructure and neighborhood stabilization.
“This is a responsible budget that ensures our City’s fiscal stability while investing in our hard-working staff, better city services, and public safety,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “Budgets are the art of the possible and of compromise, and I am confident that this budget will help us make St. Louis a better place to live, work and visit.”
A Balanced and Transparent Financial Future
The fiscal year 2027 budget is balanced and maintains healthy reserves despite economic uncertainties.
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Strong Reserves: The General Fund reserve stands at $154.1 million, or 24.2% of the FY27 budget, which exceeds the Government Finance Officers Association’s best practice of 16.6%.
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Fiscal Stability: Revenues are stabilizing as earnings and payroll tax refunds level off. The General Fund is projected to grow by 1.7% to $637.1 million.
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Pension Management: Due to improved market performance, budgeted pension contributions will decrease by $6.5 million. Current pension systems remain fairly well-funded at approximately 80%.
Key Provisions and Community Benefits
The FY2027 budget outlines several critical initiatives designed to improve city services and quality of life for all residents:
Investing in the City Workforce
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Competitive Pay: $18 million is allocated for pay adjustments for City workers, including bringing entry-level salaries to market-competitive levels to aid recruitment.
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Retention: Most City employees will receive a 3% salary adjustment, while uniformed police and firefighters will see a 7% increase.
Enhancing Public Safety
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Police Funding: The Police Department will receive an $8.6 million (4.3%) increase to cover salary and operational needs.
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Infrastructure: $5 million in ARPA interest is reappropriated to complete the 911 Dispatch Center project.
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Emergency Planning: Funding for the City Emergency Management Agency will increase by $300,000 for additional staffing and emergency planning.
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Violence Prevention: Office of Violence Prevention funded with $8.8 million, to reduce crime and improve neighborhood safety by addressing root causes of violence, providing crisis response, youth programming, re-entry services and more.
Neighborhood Stabilization and Social Services
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Housing and Blight: The budget includes a $4 million increase for derelict building demolition (totaling $9.3 million) and $2 million for Forestry Division clean-up efforts.
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Emergency Support: $2 million is dedicated to the “Code Blue” emergency housing program.
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Community Investment: Local Use Tax funds are allocated for affordable housing ($6.7 million), violence prevention ($8.8 million), and a Health Care Trust Fund ($5 million).
Improving City Services
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Infrastructure Maintenance: Funding includes $6.8 million for road and bridge projects and $10.7 million for ward-specific improvements.
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Streets and Refuse: The Street Department will receive a $1.3 million increase for snow removal and salt, while $0.5 million is designated for street signage and striping inventory.
Summary of Funds
Fund Category
FY27 Proposed (Millions)
% Change from FY26
General Fund
$637.1
+4.9%
Special Revenue
$254.5
+2.7%
Enterprise Funds
$335.2
-0.9%
Capital Improvement
$50.4
-17.9%
Grant Funds
$70.9
-19.4%
TOTAL
$1,411.1
+0.2%
