Mayor Wants Increased Spending On Police, Roads in 2020

ST. CLOUD -- St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis is proposing adding four full-time staff positions to next year's city budget.

The mayor outlined the preliminary 2020 budget during Monday night's city council meeting. He is asking for a budget increase of 3.7 percent spending just over $77.5 million next year, compared to just over $74.8 million this year. He says the additional dollars will come from an increase in the tax base, so the tax rate will not increase.

Among the new positions Kleis is proposing is a full-time police officer, which will be paid for from the CAPS program which is funding by St. Cloud State University and now the St. Cloud Technical and Community College as well.

One thing that's important as we've done our walk through the neighborhoods, we've realized that there's a lot of Technical Community College students that live in the southside neighborhood.  It's important to recognize that, plus there's a need at SCTCC.  This is a great partnership effort and that's where the dollars are for that officer.

The other three proposed full-time positions are an attorney, an IT person, and an equipment operator. Kleis says 93 percent of the increase in spending will be in either public safety or public works. His budget for next year would spend $22.4 million on city streets, up from $20.5 million this year, and $18.3 million in 2018.

He has earmarked $70,000 to help fight Emerald Ash Borer in the city.

We estimate for St. Cloud in the next decade $12 million costs of the Emerald Ash Borer.  It's now here, the first cases in this area, county wise, not in St. Cloud yet, so we're investing some dollars.

The mayor also is proposing buying seven new police vehicles, a recuse boat for the fire department, and two plow trucks.

The city council has to approve the final budget in December.