County Council

ADOPTED FY23 BUDGET

$2,526,657 FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS

34.0

Office Mission

The mission of the St. Louis County Council is to provide the highest standard of transparency in government and enable greater access to government proceedings and records for all St. Louis County citizens. The St. Louis County Council is the elected legislative body of the county and exercises all powers as set forth in Article II of the St. Louis County Charter, as well as all other powers set out in laws related to county commissions not superseded by the Charter. The administrative component of the County Council includes the offices of County Council Administration, County Clerk, and County Auditor.

Budget Overview

The 2023 adopted budget for the County Council is $2,526,657, an increase of $41,368 or 1.7 percent from the 2022 adjusted budget of $2,485,289. Personnel costs comprise 80.3 percent of the budget for 34 positions (34.0 full time equivalents). Operating expenses account for 19.2 percent and capital expenses account for 0.6 percent of the budget.

Significant Changes

The 2023 adopted budget includes an increase in the County Council budget due to new software for the Auditor’s Office. The County Council reduced their budget by $730,804 (22.4%) compared to the County Executive’s recommendation.

Core Business Functions

The County Council office is responsible for the management of:

→ Public records requested by county departments while conducting county business and as requested by the public

→ Various petitions that are filed with the County Clerk for appropriate action as prescribed by law

→ The recording and live streaming of the weekly Council meetings and Council committee meetings, and subsequent videos for replay on the county website

→ Producing and posting notice of all Council meetings and hearings as prescribed by law

→ Notary Public commissions for the State of Missouri

→ Oaths of office to various board and commission appointees as well as county employees

→ The internal audit function of county operations

→ St. Louis County Fraud and Financial Concerns Hotline for anonymous reporting of fraud, waste, mismanagement, or misconduct by employees and residents

→ The repository of the permanent record of all ordinances, resolutions, orders, and Council agendas and journals

Program Descriptions

County Council Administration

The County Council appoints the Administrative Director/County Clerk and Budget Policy Coordinator for the office. The Administration assists the Council to perform its legislative duties in county government and is a resource for detailed records regarding Council business for the citizens of St. Louis County and county departments.

County Clerk

2023 Allocation Of Resources

The County Clerk’s Office, under the direction of the Council Administrative Director/County Clerk and the Chief Deputy County Clerk, prepares the agendas and journals for the County Council, curates the repository of the permanent records of County Council business and those as prescribed by county ordinance and Missouri state statutes. The office also provides copies of ordinances and other records requested by the public and other governmental entities, and performs other duties as prescribed by county ordinances and Missouri state statutes.

County Auditor

The County Auditor is appointed by the County Council. The Auditor’s Office provides an independent, objective internal audit function, designed to add value and improve county operations by evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, internal controls, and governance processes. The Auditor’s office assists and partners with the external independent auditors in the performance of evaluating St. Louis County’s financial statements and other audit activities. The Auditor’s office also manages the St. Louis County Fraud and Financial Concerns Hotline which allows employees and residents to anonymously report fraud, waste, mismanagement, or misconduct.

Strategic Priorities And Performance Metrics

 Provide administrative support to the Council members, professional and timely assistance to county departments, and excellent customer service to the public (GG – Efficient and Responsible)

 Administer Notary Public commissions and renewals, oaths of office for Boards and Commission appointments, and to various county employees (GG – Efficient and Responsible)

 Curate the repository of the permanent record of all ordinances, resolutions, and orders, provide copies of ordinances and other records requested by the public and other governmental entities (GG – Efficient and Responsible)

 Provide timely response to requests for records in full compliance with the Missouri Sunshine Law and all other applicable statutes and ordinances (GG – Efficient and Responsible)

 Continue implementation of automated processes to expand and improve internal efficiencies and external access and transparency (GG – Efficient and Responsible)

 Provide quality video streaming and recordings of all Council meetings for viewing by the public (GG – Efficient and Responsible)

Note: an “x” included in a performance metric data field means that data has not historically been reported. The 2023 business plan includes many new performance metrics where the department will capture and report data going forward.

Organizational Chart

Council Administrative Assistants

Administrative Director and County Clerk

Chief Deputy County Clerk

County Council Members (7 districts)

Budget Policy Director

Council Support Staff IT Business Manager

Deputy County Clerks

County Auditor

Executive Assistant Audit Manager

Internal Auditors