Brentwood officials Tuesday evening passed the city’s 2016 budget — after about an hour and half of discussion and amending — to the applause of approximately 20 attending the board of aldermen meeting. The budget failed in December 2015, and was discussed in a workshop meeting in January.
Alderman Andy Leahy had wanted the board to consider legal and compensation issues in an closed session before the vote, which was rejected. His was the sole vote against passing the budget.
The officials considered four amendments before voting; three were approved.
Passed amendments:
- Alderwoman Maureen Saunders’ amendment to replace the staff salaries item from the budgeted, $362,000 with the actual, $240,000. The freed-up $122,000 will go to city street and sidewalk maintenance. Leahy and Keith Slusser cast the only no votes.
- Alderman Steve Lochmoeller’s amendment to create a new, storm water improvement fund, moving $400,000 from a currently shared budget for parks and recreation / storm water — reducing that fund balance from $894,308 to $494,000. The idea is to have a fund, that — when possible — can address the flooding issue on Manchester Road. It passed unanimously.
- Alderman Tom Kramer’s amendment to remove the customer service manager position, a position to oversee the customer service clerk and also write press releases — removed $89,800 from the budget. Kramer said the position is a luxury for the city. He said he would vote against the budget if it wasn’t removed. Plufka, Slusser and Toohey cast the no votes.
Saunders also moved to amend the budget to list each elected official, in each year’s budget, who chooses to receive the optional pension benefit from the city. She cited the compensation study that states that 13 area cities do not have pensions for aldermen. An alderman needs to serve five years to be eligible. The motion failed. Saunders and Alderwoman Cindy Manestar cast the only yes votes. Slusser said the listing would be like a ‘scarlet letter’ for the officials on the list, which he said was inappropriate, and Plufka agreed.
See also: Brentwood mayor on city’s ups and downs: 2015 was good, but no 2016 budget so far
I feel like asking the MO AG to assign a lawyer and CPA to come in, review all the financials, and disclose their findings to the City residents, under the Sunshine Laws. I really do not understand why there is so much money floating about for gravy jobs….like the “consumer advocate” that was, $89,800??in the budget? If it takes almost 90K for citizens—not consumers–to be managed, then the flying dollar infection is deeper, has no oversite and noone know what is going on. Really?? $ 89,800 for a CSR—? i don’t believe so…and WHO authorized this? love, maureen
“Alderman Tom Kramer’s amendment to remove the customer service manager position, a position to oversee the customer service clerk and also write press releases — removed $89,800 from the budget. Kramer said the position is a luxury for the city. He said he would vote against the budget if it wasn’t removed.”
THIS is stewardship. and a clear path for a 6 month sabbatical where the mayoral position is filled by the #2 man (Ald. Krammer) so transparency can be part of the process. love, maureen
If $94.75 after taxes is considered a buy off that laughable. All your assumptions and accusations are incorrect and I would appreciate doing more research before going on a personal attack. I receive that stipend to attend the full board meeting once per month (that would be 12 per year) & Site Plans meetings are not paid time( 12 as well) for those are are counting. Those two meeting average about 2 hours each. If I do not attend the full board meeting I do not get paid that month. If you add in the time I spend preparing, reviewing documents and visiting the sites I would say I make just over minimum wage not the mention the 3 hour BOA meetings I attend on a regular basis on my own time to monitor what goes on in our city. If you want to add that up for the 13 years, 300 meetings or in the neighborhood of 3000 hours and probably more. William Sherman, Aletheia , Tony, Bobby or Ms Completely what do you do to better Brentwood MO. What is your agenda to post and attack good citizens that care what happens want to serve their community. By the way what does this have to do about the article on passing the budget? Seems to me it is just a smear campaign that does not like that Mr. Geppert and I call out inaccurate statements in anonymous posts.
My agenda was to support a good citizen who was being attacked by a “good citizen” for wanting the Board of Aldermen to be transparent. I might be biased for wanting the Board to be transparent though, seeing as at one time I too received pay for services I rendered for Brentwood.
John N and John G – please let all of us know how much money the city has paid you to be a part of Planning and Zoning. Have heard you receive $100 just to go to a meeting. Not sure how many meeting a month.
The problem with your posts is you are defending the beast that buys your loyalty. You both represent what is wrong with Brentwood. Other cities have folks who do it for the benefit of the community. Brentwood has in place where the Mayor can pick and pay folks, and while you may claim you are unbiased your many posts show that you are extremely biased. Why else would you defend the poor behavior within our government.
Again, please let us all know how much you have received working for Brentwood.
Just noticed John N’s post below about over 300 meeting – that would have him at $30,000 pay for attending meeting. Not a bad deal and explains his position pretty clearly.
interesting thought from above, does that mean that John Goeppert was earning the same, or more as from watching posts he seems to go back a long way with the city. Anyone know why Brentwood pays these folks when other cities do not pay.
Mr. Geppert and Mr. Nuernberger, will you please disclose to all of us on 40 South your compensation from the city of Brentwood? While we all appreciate the tenor of your comments, knowing how much you have profited off of the city will allow many a citizen to put into perspective your opinion. thanks Tony.
Mr Completely is Wrong again and spreading rumors and acquations that have nothing to do with the current administration at city hall. It is all a conspirancy. I will keep posting and intrupt his/her inaccurate statememts until he/she comes out of the shadows and be a Man or Woman which ever he/she is and put an actual name with the comments.
Meant to type ” I will keep posting and interpret”
You took the conversation off topic, John. The issue was Geppert and now you getting all indignant over the fact that individuals can post on this forum annoumsly. Its really funny that some Brentwood Boys Club members who ran this town in the “grey area” (sketchy, unpleasant, behind closed doors, and for the benefit of a select group) however always legally, complain when others also find some cover in the same “Grey Area” and use it to their benefit. Its always funny until its about you, huh? As far as the current administration, it’ll be easier to hold them accountable since most of them came to their office after Bentwood citizens woke up from their 15 year nap. As far as your new mission /hobby to bring anyone “out of the shadows” good luck with that! Anyone who has been paying attention knows that you and many others here are in the tank for Kelly and they understand the need to sometimes stay on the DL when dealing with such people. Can you for one minute imagine the odds of Mr. Completely getting a variance from your P & Z committee? I rest my case.
Wrong once again Mr/Ms completey who ever you are as informed as you think you are P&Z does not give Variances that is the Board of Adjustment which does not report to P&Z. That is fact. What does your comments have to do with the 2016 budget passing.
Ok, I’ll play along John. BTW-Were you held back? Answer my question: Would Mr. Completely get a variance ftom the Board of Adjustment in The City of Warmth?
No as Mr/Ms completey. If you came out of the closet and had a need for a variance, you may have chance but with your name & address
I happen to like Ald Leahy, and now that Maureen Saunders is leaving —I would be interested in his rationale. I am intuitively SURE there is still kook-aid left in the dispensers. Jeckell and Hyde were both elected mayor, Ald. Toohey was Hyde’s first CHOICE as replacement, in absence of whomever was sitting in the mayoral chamber at the time that nomination was easily voted down (mayor and Patrick ONLY two votes Patrick got…) There was a press for power-grabbing–and i do not know how deep that goes. But there was a 180 from campaign to taking mayoral chambers on listening to “the people.” So please, Ald. Leahy, if you have a position, i would be very interested, despite i am not in your Ward. For 30 years i listened to everyone from saint to lying-*SS’d pervert ‘tell their story.’. That is what happened in this last election and here we are again. So anonymous posts are not relevant and are pathetic spit on the street. Let us hear from the REAL PEOPLE. love, maureen
Geppert is used to running the show, a Kelly leftover. He ran P&Z for years. Meetings were like a flashback to the set of the Merv Griffin show. Everything in the go-go 2000’s development craze was a foregone conclusion, narrow parking spaces, wrong way entrances to bank drive-thru, inadequate number of parking spaces for the traffic. The meetings were merely a formality. Kelly usually attended every meeting as part of his micromanaging style of the office. I may be Completely wrong, its only my opinion……..
You are “Completely Wrong” The mayor, in my 13 plus years on P&Z, was only there handful of times, 3 that I can think of 0ut of over 300 I have attended how could he micromange being there 1% of the time. That is a fact not my opinion.
You missed the period. (.) Meetings referred to those associated with the TIF enriched development of the go go 2000’s not specifically P&Z. If you dispute Kelly’s micromanagement as it relates to development in Brentwood you’ve had too much kool-aid. Just saying!!
Completely Wrong again and you now change to suit your comments to suit your argument. TIF’s are approved by a seperate commission. The Chairman of P&Z most likely was a member of that board with one vote and maybe the mayor was as well with one vote but I believe it was run by one of school board president with a panel of citizens members. P&Z does not make decisions because there is a TIF. I think the Promanade, Brentwood Square and maybe Diebergs were all done under a different Mayor. How could Mayor Kelly micromanage those develoments without being Mayor.
John: Please just don’t read my post anymore they don’t need to be translated and I don’t have time to explain them to you after the fact. I know better than most how it works. Gezz!
So if you went to 300 meetings that mean that you have collected over $30,000 from the city of Brentwood. Thanks for answering my question.
I am glad we now have a 2016 budget since we are 2 months into the year now we can get some capital projects done. It appears that everyone on the BOA had input and the process was extremely transparent. It is on record, on camera, in the budget and everyone knows the BOA get a small pension after 5 years if they are voted in 3 times. What I am not happy that Andy Leahy, my Alderman for Ward 3, wanted to put it off for another month and then voted NO on the budget without giving clear expaination of his reason. It is amazing that everyone else on the board got thier answers and prepared thier ammendments (which were asked for at the last budget worksop) exept Alderman Leahy. To me he got answers but did not like or understand the answers he was given.
Like a Scarlet Letter? If you are taking money from the public and you need to hide the fact from the citizens, a good suggestion would be do not take it. What I am hearing is that as a citizen, you need to keep me uniformed on how you are spending my tax dollars. Many of us thought we went through this before with the audit. Where is the transparency?
Well “Tony” is there not huge irony that you speak of transparency and really not let people know who you are.? Isn’t that totally inconsistent with transparency. Got something to say then say with your name on it. My name is on this and I dare you. Show yourself.
Yea, yea, yea. You’re not saying anything Geppert. Next!
Geppert (if that is who he really is, anyone can assume any persona on the web), can’t decide what side of the aisle he’s going to stand on. He attacks commenters for supporting board tactics, now he seems to have crossed the aisle to attack someone who is calling out the board to be transparent. Pick a side! Geppert, do you want a board that is open, transparent and run for the people of Brentwood? Or do you want a board who meets behind closed doors working for just the betterment of themselves and the employees? I know where “Tony” stands by his comment, where do you?