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St. Louis County Parks

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Results for Arch/Park Tax, Prop P in St. Louis County, City

It had to pass in both St. Louis City and St. Louis County in order to impose the sales tax increase to fund improvements around the Gateway Arch, local parks and regional trails.

Voters in St. Louis County and St. Louis City said yes to a 3/16ths of one-cent sales tax increase designed to fund about $31 million a year in improvements to the Gateway Arch grounds, the regional Great Rivers Greenway trails and greenways, and for city and county parks. The measure had to pass in both the county and the city in order to be implemented. In the city, with 100 percent of the vote counted, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the proposition won with 67 percent of the vote. With 100 percent of the votes counted in the county, the proposition passed easily with a 53 percent to 47 percent margin. The money would go toward: Correction: An earlier version of this article used the incorrect proposition name in the headline…

John Dough

6:54 am on Thursday, April 4, 2013

As part of the General revenue fund prop P will get raided....Remember the casino vote?...for schools??? .   more ›

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

County Parks Shortfall Predicted Despite Action Plan

Councilman Steve Stenger disagrees with the allocation for St. Louis County Parks as County Executive Charlie Dooley’s budget office reduces funding for the department.

The St. Louis County Parks Department is still $500,000 in the red despite laying off 20 employees and increasing revenue by $193,780. Those numbers were presented to the St. Louis County Council Tuesday in a plan meant to make the parks department more efficient. Acting Parks Director Tom Ott created a business plan that outlined a strategy to keep parks providing the basic services while reducing costs. The plan comes seven months after County Executive Charlie Dooley proposed closing 23 parks and laying off more than 100 employees because of a budget crisis. Early budget projections showed a $10 million deficit, according to the county executive.  *At the end of the year, the county received unexpected revenues, leaving the parks open. …

Russ Rosener

3:00 pm on Wednesday, July 25, 2012

How about we just take money from Dooley's Paycheck and fire the cronies he has put in government jobs, and give that money to the Park Department? Too bad Dooley isn't up for election this year. I hope people will remember what a crook he is in 2 years....   more ›

Monday, July 23, 2012

Council to Hear Business Plan for St. Louis County Parks Department

The Parks Department will present a business plan to the St. Louis County Council after being the center of the 2012 budget discussion.

St. Louis County officials will hear a business plan for the Parks Department seven months after County Executive Charlie Dooley first threatened to close 23 county parks and lay off more than 170 employees, citing a budget crisis. The meeting will take place Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the St. Louis County Council conference room at 41 South Central Avenue in Clayton.  Members of the county council—led by then-chairman Steve Stenger (D-Affton)—vehemently opposed Dooley’s initial 2012 budget proposal and questioned his office’s claim of a $10 million deficit. Parks activists also protested the closures, leading to several petitions and a rally outside county headquarters in Clayton. After forming a special budget committee, the council and …

Lauren Kopp

5:04 pm on Monday, July 23, 2012

Parks should not be considered a business but a necessity!   more ›

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Winter Wonderland: Ladue's Tilles Park Shines With the Spirit of the Season

Open until New Year’s Day, visitors can enjoy an entire mile of holiday magic.

Now in its 26th year, the Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park boasts more than one million twinkling lights, making it a magnet for families from around metro St. Louis.  “It’s a family tradition,” said Justin Hirsch, Special Events Coordinator for St. Louis County Parks. Whether this is your first year to visit the Winter Wonderland or your 26th, you will find holiday scenes new and old. “The display changes every year,” said Hirsch. New and traditional sights New this year is a series of Christmas trees with lights that are synchronized to music. Also new are portions of the lighted tunnel and a snowflake effect that hangs over the roadway. Some of the previous years designs are in different locations this year. Look for the frog jumping …

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