Tuesday, April 2, 2013
It had to pass in both St. Louis City and St. Louis County in order to impose the sales tax increase to fund improvements around the Gateway Arch, local parks and regional trails.
Voters in St. Louis County and St. Louis City said yes to a 3/16ths of one-cent sales tax increase designed to fund about $31 million a year in improvements to the Gateway Arch grounds, the regional Great Rivers Greenway trails and greenways, and for city and county parks. The measure had to pass in both the county and the city in order to be implemented. In the city, with 100 percent of the vote counted, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the proposition won with 67 percent of the vote. With 100 percent of the votes counted in the county, the proposition passed easily with a 53 percent to 47 percent margin. The money would go toward: Correction: An earlier version of this article used the incorrect proposition name in the headline…
Friday, February 8, 2013
Go Ape!, an out-of-state treetop adventure course company, now wants to build an area course in Creve Coeur Park instead of the original targeted locale, Greensfelder Park in Wildwood. A request was on the St. Louis County Council agenda Tuesday night.
A new treetop adventure course may be built in Creve Coeur Park instead of Greensfelder Park in Wildwood. The change in county venue followed a storm of opposition to the course in Wildwood, particularly from equestrians who frequently use and board horses at Greensfelder. Go Ape! co-owner Chris Swallow confirmed with Patch on Monday he and St. Louis County Parks staffers currently were seeking approval to operate a treetop adventure course in Creve Coeur Park. Go Ape! oversees treetop courses in Maryland, Virginia and Indiana, and actually spawned from courses in Great Britain. Treetop parks basically consist of an obstacle course of ropes, zip lines, swinging bridges and platforms built around trees. "We are excited about the opportunity…
Monday, August 20, 2012
A spokesperson for St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said a projected shortfall in the parks department may not be a reality.
Calls for a tax increase to pay for St. Louis County parks because of a funding shortfall could be sounding the alarm too early. That’s according to one official in County Executive Charlie Dooley’s office who asserts that a $500,000 budget shortfall might not actually exist. “That’s a nice number, I don’t know if it’s based on any kind of reality,” spokesperson Mac Scott said. “We’re unaware of that kind of a problem as this point.” The parks department created a business plan based on 2013 budget projections from the county executive’s office. Those projections included zero funding from the county’s general fund and a $7.4 million decrease in the budget over two years. The business plan looked at alternate revenue sources and cost-…
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
A committee of parks supporters studied the St. Louis County Park system and endorsed a tax increase proposal. The measure must pass through the county council, where Councilman Steve Stenger said there is not a funding problem with the parks.
A sales tax increase that might be on the ballot in April would free St. Louis County parks from further cuts or closures. That’s according to a committee of parks supporters who filed an interim report with county officials in July. The Green Ribbon Committee, which is comprised of former and current parks directors, city officials and trail agencies, was tasked with analyzing the county parks system after a tumultuous year of layoffs and threats to close parks. Councilman Steve Stenger said the committee was a “rubber stamp operation” for County Executive Charlie Dooley to get a tax increase passed in St. Louis County. Stenger has been a vocal opponent of Dooley, and has hinted at running for county executive in 2014. Skip Mange, a …
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
After a tumultuous two-month period that included threats of park shutdowns, protests and the possible closing of a West County satellite office, council members sign off on a $357 million budget.
The St. Louis County Council has approved a $357 million budget that spares county parks and averts the shutdown of a satellite office in West County. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the budget plan will include cuts in staff through layoffs and through allowing vacant positions to remain unfilled — including 10 positions in the county police department. The Post says those positions do not include patrol officers. The cuts could involve as many as 50 employees. “That won’t be decided until January, where we’re at with those positions,” councilman Mike O’Mara, D-Florissant, told KMOX. The biggest hit is likely to come from the parks department; while no parks will be closed, the department budget is down from $26 million to $22.6 …
John Dough
6:54 am on Thursday, April 4, 2013
As part of the General revenue fund prop P will get raided....Remember the casino vote?...for schools??? . more ›