2024/01/23 - Mayor's Column: A Budget That Works For You
“AN OPEN DOOR TO O’FALLON”
A WEEKLY NOTE FROM MAYOR HERB ROACH
It is that time of the year when our City Council will start getting an early view of some of the income and expenses that the city is looking at for the coming fiscal year.
Our departments have been working on these numbers for several weeks now. Even though the final budget is not approved until April, our finance department has spent many hours reviewing department requests and gathering information on proposed income.
State law requires that all cities pass a balanced budget. But, we don’t stop there. We craft and implement the City’s budget in a way that will continue to provide excellent services, and also ensure that the future finances of O’Fallon remain viable.
As our city continues to grow and move forward, we will continue to look to be fiscally responsible with your tax dollars. Our goal is to maintain the safety of our community, maintain the infrastructure and parks of our city and look at smart growth for our city, while keeping our city tax rate down.
I was recently at a meeting and heard the concerns raised by some cities about deserted and/or derelict buildings, failing infrastructure, dropping property values and rising crime. The growth of our community has continued to allow us to maintain the high standards that we have which keeps property values up and makes us an attractive place for new families and businesses.
I know that the progress that we have brings about change but I also know that it has been noticed by other communities and envied by some by the number of questions that I and our staff receive from other communities as to “how did you do this or what would you recommend?” O’Fallon serves as example of success that many other communities wish to emulate.
The proposed budget will go through multiple reviews by the City Council. This allows residents to make comments numerous times. After it is approved, the new budget goes into effect on May 1st.
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open.