NEWS FOR THE LOU
Mayor Jones announced the budget for the Fiscal Year beginning in July. A whopping 1,153,649,859. With the new budget, we see changes that were never implemented before. A decrease in funding to St. Louis Police Department. Which previously took up 47% of the total annual budget public safety budget and more money allocated to mental health and counseling services. The closing of St.Louis Infamous Workhouse will also save the city 7 million dollars.
Mayor Jones mentioned that to tackle crime we must go to the root issues. She elaborated on the fact that budget has not supported the needs of the people and that’s why we’re seeing record numbers of homicides and other acts of violence. More funding will go to the following areas 1.5 million to Affordable Housing Trust Fund, 1 million towards victim support services that provide financial support for funerals expenses, medical needs, childcare, mental health services, crisis management, and trauma support. 1 million dollars towards expanding the Department of Health and Human Services and .5 million towards legal support to the Civil Rights
Enforcement Agency which only received 1% of funding of the annual budget last yr. Change is inevitable and it’s time we start addressing the cause of the increase in crime instead of looking at the effect.
