ELLISVILLE, Mo. (KMOX) – Chesterfield’s mayor wants to spend money from a pro-police sales tax on pothole repair instead, but what about building a new city hall with those public safety funds?
Every city in St. Louis County is waking up to a steady stream of new cash, thanks to the county-wide Prop P sales tax passed in April.
It was billed as being for public safety, and Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul says he wants to stick to that.
“We’re not going to slush fund it,” he says.
Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul stands in front of the now-vacant Best Buy on Manchester Rd. (Photo: Michael Calhoun/KMOX)
They expect to get a new $500,000 a year, which already is the size of their whole police budget. They’ve already given officers raises, and new vehicles recently.
“What are we supposed to do, double our police? Are we supposed to chrome-plate our police vehicles just because we have the extra money? No,” he says.
Paul’s idea is a new city hall-police station combination.
“The police station over in Ellisville is over 45 years old, 50 years old, with asbestos and leaks and a terrible roof,” he says.
Paul would also like to reduce Ellisville’s sales tax rate, which is currently at 8.9 percent.
But, again, can you use Prop P for anything other than police?
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