The Truesdale Board of Aldermen in June approved a $2.4 million city budget for the upcoming fiscal year, including the completion of major park projects, street improvements, and cost-of-living …
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The Truesdale Board of Aldermen in June approved a $2.4 million city budget for the upcoming fiscal year, including the completion of major park projects, street improvements, and cost-of-living raises for employees.
City Administrator MaryLou Rainwater, in a budget report for the board of aldermen, said part of the 2021-2022 budget includes projects that were delayed due to COVID, and that the city remains in good financial condition.
“The city has several large projects being completed during this fiscal year, including the Safe Room, Bruer Park improvements, and the sewer study,” Rainwater said, referring to projects to construct a community shelter and amenities at Bruer Park, along with an examination of how to provide expanded sewer services in the city.
The ongoing improvements at Bruer Park are being paid for with two separate cost-share grants. General park improvements, set to wrap up by this fall, are being paid for with a 50/50 match from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Truesdale’s portion of the cost is estimated at $164,000.
The community center and storm shelter being built at Bruer Park is being paid for with the Federal Emergency Management Agency contributing 90 percent of the funds for “necessary” features of the building. Truesdale’s portion of the project for this year has been budgeted at $85,000. Add to that an additional $49,000 that the city has budgeted as ongoing costs for the building — about half for its actual operation, and half to begin paying back money the city borrowed for the project.
The city is providing a 2.5-percent cost of living raise to all employees, Rainwater said, except for a police officer receiving a separate raise due to promotion to sergeant, and the public works supervisor who is receiving a separate raise for completing certified water system training.
In another expense category, city leaders are excited to be in their final year for one major cost. This year, Truesdale will make its final payment of $94,000 on a well and water tower on South Street. Starting next summer, Rainwater said capital improvement sales tax funding tied up in those payments will become free to use on other public improvements.
Speaking of which, Truesdale also has $30,000 budgeted this year for a sewer system engineering study, paid for entirely by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study will examine the most effective means of providing future sewer service for Truesdale’s continued expansion. Future projects in that field could be paid for using the capital improvement sales tax.
For street improvements, this is the first full year Truesdale will have the benefit of a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects that city voters approved last year.
Combined with other city tax revenue and a statewide motor fuel tax that gets shared with cities, Truesdale has up to $300,000 budgeted for street projects. Possible improvements include:
• Repairs on multiple sections of Smith Street
• Repairs on Pinckney Street
• Repairs to the concrete street in the industrial park on Spoede Lane
• Sealing work and minor repairs for various other streets
