ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.—The St. Louis County Council gets its first official look at County Executive Sam Page’s proposed 2025 budget Tuesday night, a proposed $1.1 billion overall spending plan that includes funding for dozens of new positions and $20 million to boost county salaries to cut down on turnover and more expensive outsourcing.

The document lays out a plan for spending almost $90 million more than the current budget. County Council members approved the 2024 budget only after making $14 million in cuts last December.

The budget calls for hiring more than 70 new employees, including 38 to execute the county’s new senior property tax freeze, and 23 as the county prepares to again have full control of Animal Control functions.

Page’s budget moves $36.6 million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds into General Revenue. The funds had been previously earmarked for grants to outside entities in St. Louis County for food insecurity, child care and other areas, but will instead fund those objectives inside county government.

A hold-up of distributing those funds to area nonprofits this year has been a source of friction between County Council Chair Shalonda Webb and Page.

As in past years, the budget earmarks funds that exceed county revenues. It projects a starting General Revenue Fund deficit of $38.9 million that grows to $45.9 million by the end of the year.

“Our revenue structure has not provided sufficient funds to operate our government for almost two decades. As we maintain the services our community has come to expect from their government, this imbalance between revenue and spending will continue to worsen It is not fiscally responsible to continue relying on our fund balance and one—time revenue sources to close the gap in the long run. We most look for short and long-term solutions to provide this relief,” Page wrote to County Council members.

Among Page’s potential solutions include future property tax increases, a use tax for online purchases, and tapping into the county’s share of the NFL settlement.

The county could also look to recoup funds through increased user fees. A department-by-department review is underway to see if any of them should propose changes. Recovering all costs of providing services could bring in at least $8.5 million annually, Page said.