Budget Committee Meeting: Mayor's Supplemental Budget, HR and Emergency Management 2027 Budgets - October 7, 2026

The Budget Committee of the Saint Paul City Council met on October 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers. Chair Cheniqua Johnson presided with five members present (Vice Chair Nelsie Yang and Councilmember Rebecca Noecker were excused). The committee reviewed the Mayor's 2027 Supplemental Budget Proposal and the proposed 2027 budgets for the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Emergency Management.

Mayor's Supplemental Budget Proposal (SR 26-210)

• Budget Manager Madeline Mitchell presented the supplemental proposal, which recognizes additional revenue and cost savings not known at the time of the August proposed budget. Sources include $300,000 in additional franchise fee revenue due to a new agreement with Excel (effective January 1, 2027) and approximately $500,000 in savings from switching to even-year elections (of which $275,000 is used in the proposal). Uses include restoring cuts to parks and library department hours and adding funding for separation ordinance enforcement in the City Attorney's Office.
• Councilmember Saura Jost asked whether the franchise fee revenue and election savings are ongoing. Treasurer Neil Younghands confirmed the franchise fee revenue is ongoing but noted the city is being conservative given the new fee structure. Councilmember Anika Bowie raised concerns about the $148,000 lease for Dayton's Bluff Library (part of the library restoration), asking for future council involvement in lease negotiations. Director Mitchell noted the lease amount is set for 2027 and that the library director and mayor's office remain committed to communicating with council about the library's future.
• Chair Johnson asked what would happen if an unexpected special election occurred; Mitchell responded that because only $275,000 of the $500,000 savings is used, buffer remains.

Department of Human Resources 2027 Budget (SR 26-207)

• HR Director Camera Kasim presented the proposed budget, emphasizing the need to strengthen responsiveness, enhance leadership development, advance equity, and modernize systems. The department supports over 4,000 employees across the city. To meet the 4% reduction target ($273,000), the department eliminated an HR Manager 1 (occupied), a Management Assistant 3 (vacated), reduced non-personnel spending by $15,000, repurposed an HR Consultant 4 to a 3, and made a vacant adjustment. New positions proposed: an HR liaison coordinator and a workers' compensation analyst. The total FTE count would go from 47 to 48. A one-time expense of $547,000 is requested for implementing a benefits module system.
• Councilmember Jost asked about the $81,000 for external investigations, learning it covers outsourced investigations beyond the capacity of the single investigator FTE. Councilmember Bowie asked whether eliminated positions were vacant or occupied; Kasim confirmed the HR Manager 1 and Management Assistant 3 positions had people in them, and those roles were laid off as part of restructuring. Bowie also asked about workers' compensation costs and transparency; Kasim described monthly roundtable meetings with fire department and plans to expand, and expressed support for data sharing.
• Kasim noted that St. Paul's HR staffing (47 FTEs) compares to Minneapolis (62 FTEs for similar employee count) and Ramsey County (80 FTEs). The department's budget-to-actuals have been close year-over-year.

Department of Emergency Management 2027 Budget (SR 26-208)

• Director Rick Schut presented the proposed general fund budget of $7,075,007, an increase of $289,890 (4.3%) from 2026. Eighty-two percent of the budget is a pass-through for Ramsey County 911 dispatch services. The dispatch increase of $246,280 (4.4%) is driven by county costs, not by increased call volume. The department achieved a $40,000 reduction by moving from full-service siren maintenance to repair-as-needed, retaining $9,432 for repairs; all 36 sirens were serviced in 2025. No changes in staffing (8 FTEs, all now on general fund).
• Councilmember HwaJeong Kim asked about the history of the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant that previously funded positions; Schut explained the grant has been in place since after 9/11 but funding has declined and become uncertain, prompting the council's move to general fund. Kim requested a follow-up on how returned UASI funds from 2025 and 2026 will be invested.

Key Outcomes

• The committee received all three presentations and held discussions. No votes were taken; the supplemental budget proposal will be considered for inclusion in the council-adopted budget. Follow-up items include: updates on franchise fee revenue budget-to-actuals, more details from the City Attorney's Office on separation ordinance enforcement staffing, and a memo on the use of returned UASI grant funds. The next Budget Committee meeting will cover the Office of Financial Services and other departments.