The 2025 Warrenton budget was approved at the Dec. 17 board of aldermen meeting, allocating funds for city departments until December of next year.
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The 2025 Warrenton budget was approved at the Dec. 17 board of aldermen meeting, allocating funds for city departments until December of next year.
According to Finance Director Meghan Waelder, the city is projecting roughly $17.4 million in revenue in 2025 and only $10.3 million in expenses.
The $10.3 million in expenses does not include expenditures related to capital improvements or debt service, which are accounted for in separate funds.
“The major components of this are the water and sewer utility revenue and sales tax revenue,” said Waelder. “We’re projecting water and sewer revenue to be at just over $6 million and the sales tax is projected to be a little over $7 million.”
There will be significant expenditures in capital improvements, where over $20 million is being spent across all city departments. Waelder downplayed the impact of these expenses however, saying most of them are being carried over on projects that were started, but not completed this year.
In total, roughly $12.5 million of the capital expenditures are on projects that were already funded and started in 2024 but were not completed by the end of 2024.
Those projects include the construction and engineering of a new well and tank for the water department coming in at roughly $3.3 million.
There are also several projects that are ongoing in the sewer department, including just over $2 million for a new southwest interceptor and $6.5 million allocated for the first phase of the wastewater treatment plant expansion.
New projects and expenses include the purchase of five new vehicles for the Warrenton Police Department at a cost of $400,000 and $760,000 for the remodel of the police department.
The budget also allocates $200,000 for the construction of a new concession stand at the athletic complex and $42,000 to resurface the tennis courts at Dyer Park.
Work will also be continuing on sidewalk and sewer improvement projects along Booneslick Road that were started in 2024. The second phases of those projects are funded and will take place in 2025.
“The preparation of this proposed budget was efficient and streamlined with the cooperative effort and diligence of the department heads, oversight of the city administrator, director of operations and the guidance and support of the mayor and board of aldermen,” said Waelder.
The board also approved a number of year-end agreements that involved funds allocated from the budget. Those measures included authorizing agreements with the Warren County R-III School District for crossing guards, security services and school resource officers.
They also provided up to $11,000 for the Warren County Council on Aging to help fund their Meals on Wheels program and $25,000 for Agape to continue providing resources to the area’s low-income population.
The latter agreement had previously been approved at the Nov. 19 meeting and the board simply needed to allocate the funds.
They also voted to continue contracting with Cynthia Davenport of Davenport Law to provide prosecuting attorney services for the city.
A copy of the city’s 2025 budget can be found in the meeting packet for the Dec. 17 meeting, available on the city’s website at https://www.warrenton-mo.org/i_want_to___/find/board_of_aldermen_meetings.
