Streets director James Jackson details FY27 budget priorities as paving request receives no proposed funding

James Jackson, director of the Streets Department, told the St. Louis City Budget & Public Employees Committee on May 13 that the department’s proposed FY27 appropriations rise 4.27%, from $60,831,192 to $63,430,195, driven by operational needs across traffic, towing, streets and refuse divisions.

"We have, 4,27% increase in appropriations for FY27 from $60,831,192 to $63,430,195," Jackson said, and he briefed members on department priorities including winter preparedness, fleet and technology modernization.

Jackson outlined recent operational improvements after joining the city in November: a snow command center with 24-hour cameras and a QA/QC program, doubled on-call pay for drivers, a residential plowing pilot and expanded communications with the mayor’s office. He said the department serves 66,488 households daily and reported winter metrics including more than 9,300 maintenance hours, 40,965 miles plowed/treated and 264,500 gallons of brine used.

Division-level budget changes include targeted increases and reallocations: traffic and lighting received a mix of personnel reductions and asset funding (an added $231,384 for signal assets and $500,000 for signing/striping); towing saw transferred positions and a $824,522 general-fund increase to support salaries, fleet services and telecommunicator staffing; the streets division received $836,715 for additional winter salt and fuel; and refuse was awarded $894,340 in personnel funding to add a construction equipment operator plus an operational increase to buy a $246,000 rear loader and fund a GIS specialist to support route digitization.

Jackson said the department currently lists about 129 vacancies and that the authorized staffing table will fall from 453 to 418 positions in FY27, a reduction he attributed largely to positions that were previously budgeted but unfilled.

On paving, aldermen pressed Jackson about a recurring materials request: "You requested $12,500,000 but the proposed amount is $0," one member noted. Jackson said prior large requests were to establish a multiyear resurfacing program and that without dedicated funding the department will continue pothole repairs and work with ward capital when available. "If we had those funds available to us, we could set up a formalized street resurfacing and street maintenance program," Jackson said, adding that lack of a funded program keeps the department in a reactive posture.

On modernization, Jackson described two refuse studies underway: a 'new-gen' cart study to evaluate moving containers from alleys to streets and a route-digitization study that will digitize routes and alleys and provide data to support routing improvements. Jackson said that is why the department requested a GIS specialist in the solid-waste division.

Towing operations and related administrative reforms were also discussed. Jackson said the tow yard has capacity for roughly 1,100 vehicles and daily occupancy typically ranges 750–850; tow fees are $100 to tow plus $25 per day, and vehicles become eligible for auction after 30 days. He described work to digitize towing records and to contract a system that verifies vehicle ownership nationally by VIN.

Refuse Commissioner Randy Bretonfield told the committee the south maintenance garage is in poor condition and estimated roughly $4,000,000 would be required to keep facilities functional while the planned $13,000,000 transfer-station project proceeds; he said limited space at the new transfer station means some maintenance and bulk operations will remain at the older site until relocation is possible.

Committee members praised winter operations and the department’s pilots, pressed for clearer funding pathways for resurfacing and for continued follow-up on outstanding vehicle deliveries from prior years. The committee recessed for lunch and planned to hear the airport presentation later in the day.