City Finally Gets Its Money

As the Florissant City Council began its public meeting series about the 2011 budget last month, council members and city administrators got welcome fiscal news.

At the Oct. 25 city council meeting, State Sen. Jane Cunningham announced that the city would get more than $813,000 in sales tax revenue from the state.

The state held onto the money the funds from 2009 until census figures about the city's population could be verified, according to Cunningham. During the past year, the mayor, city attorney John Hessel and director of finance tried without luck to get the state to hand over the money.  Earlier this year, the City of Florissant filed a lawsuit against the state.  The state settled in September.

"I am very pleased to finally settle this litigation, and these funds will most assuredly, in these troubled times, help the operation of our City," said Mayor Robert G. Lowery, Sr. in a press release. The tax revenue comes at a welcome time, as City Council faces the second year in a row of belt-tightening.

The Missouri Department of Revenue would not return calls for comment.

The state payout goes like this: Starting in October the city gets $33,878 every month for two years. The arrangement ends a year of strained relations between Florissant and Jefferson City.

"I'm thrilled to death that the funds are being distributed," said Cunningham. "I'm embarrassed that Florissant had to go through this much trouble to get what they deserved and what the citizens deserve."

Ward 4 City Councilman and City Council President Keith English was more diplomatic.

"It's unfortunate that it had to be drawn out over so many years," he said. "It does help in taking the burden off of us financially."

The revenue has been factored into the proposed 2011 fiscal year budget of $29.8 million.