City Manager, Mayor Give Status Update on University City

"We have a fiscal situation that we really need to deal with," said University City Manager Lehman Walker, to an audience at prior to the mayor delivering the State of the City address earlier this month.

Walker said U City has a substantial reserve fund "if you just look at it on paper." However, he said in relation to what other municipalities have U City's reserve fund is relatively low. "We have about 30percent of our regular operating budget in reserves, many other cities have in excess of 50 percent of that."

"Budgeting is about choice," said Walker.  He emphasised that reserve funds should not be used to balance the operating budget. 

Walker said one of the first things he did as city manager was to start the budget process earlier.  He said in the past the budget was submitted to council in April, considered in May and adopted in June.

"I think in the past you could get away with that...I came to U City n 1998 and it was a matter of how much are you going to add. Are you going to add 2 percent or 3 percent to the budget.  The revenue picture has changed significantly since then," Walker said.

So far, the City has held three public budget sessions asking for citizen input. The next public budget session is set for March 23.

When University City Mayor Shelley Welsch took the podium she said she was working with a number of local volunteers to move forward the creation of a Chamber of Commerce for University City.

"The interest in helping is there.  People want to be involved.  We just need to ask," she said.