Accomplishments

Comptroller Darlene Green has worked hard to save St. Louis taxpayers money and to secure a positive credit rating during her 20 years in office. She is also active within the St. Louis community and supports many educational, social and youth-based programs.  

Comptroller Accomplishments & Initiatives

• Saved taxpayers more than $80 million through the refinancing and refunding over $1.6 billion outstanding bonds and other debt. These innovative and complicated financial transactions are successful because of the Comptroller's office policy of voting for the most qualified financial firms to represent the city. 

• Issued more than $3.2 billion in bonds since 1996 to fund construction and capital improvement projects. Some of these projects include construction of the City Justice Center downtown, Lambert Airport runway construction, convention center upgrades, and Forest Park renovations.

• Spearheaded the effort to get the city's credit rating up to an A+ as of May 2008, the city's highest in 35 years. The city's ability to maintain this rating ensures the lowest possible interest rates on bond issues, saving the taxpayers money. The city's A+ credit rating also creates a favorable environment for private investment in the city, spurring economic and revenue growth.

• Latest state audit of the Comptroller's Office issued in December 2008 had no major findings.

• Uses the city's strong financial position created by its A+ credit rating and conservative fiscal policies to help leverage more than $7 billion in development throughout the city of St. Louis.

• Injected millions in one-time money to balance the city's budget through timely debt refinancings, including $12 million for FY 2001, $9.5 million for FY 2004 and millions more in additional funding over the years.

• Protected the taxpayers' interests in the BJC/Forest Park lease agreement by bringing the hospital and the citizens together, reducing the amount of green space affected and negotiated a fair price for the land, an additional $400,000 (from $1.6 million offered to $2 million) to fund city park maintenance and improvements for decades to come.

• Funded the purchase of new breathing equipment in 2008 for the fire department with $3.4 million in interest earned from a 1999 bond issue. This equipment was a high priority purchase for the fire department and vital for the safety of our brave men and women.

• Initiated a $13 million no tax increase bond issue in 2006 to fund communications equipment for the city's first responders, floodwall improvements and bridge repairs. The city of St. Louis is now the region's leader in interoperable emergency communications technology and continues to repair the floodwall and area bridges.

• Earned a credit rating outlook upgrade from stable to positive for Lambert Airport in December of 2008.

• Earned credit rating upgrade from credit rating agencies in 2013 for Lambert Airport A3;A-;BBB+ with a stable outlook.

• Refunded $824 million in Lambert Airport debt over the years that freed up $42 million to reduce the airport's overall debt load and fund its operations.

• Created the Lambert Airport debt service stabilization fund that adds additional protections and liquidity for airport finances, making debt issued by Lambert more attractive to investors. Helps mitigate airline rates and charges.The fund opened with $13.8 million and has increased to $35 million as of 2015.

• In 2007 opened access to city government by putting hundreds of city audits online. Thousands of people have accessed the website to learn how city departments are spending taxpayer dollars.

• Created a fraud reporting hotline in 2005 that gives city employees and the public a quick, easy and confidential way to report suspected fraud.

• Initiated a government-wide policy in 2004 requiring all city employees use personal codes for long distance calls. This initiative saves taxpayers thousands of dollars every year in long distance charges.

• Enriched the city's coffers for FY 2003 by $3 million and safeguarded an additional $12 million in Department of Health grant funding by initiating a fiscal review of that department's accounting practices - preventing the loss of vital health care funding.

• Developed a 5-year Strategic Plan for city finances in 1996, and established a working group to develop a new 10 year Strategic Plan for city finances in 2014.

• Partnered with Fannie Mae to create down payment assistance program for home buyers in 1999.

• Worked to uncover fraud throughout city government by utilizing Internal Audit and other Comptroller staff.

• In 2014, initiated working group to establish low-interest loan energy program.

• Established a youth jobs programs.

• Hold annual tax preparation workshops along with VITA and NABA.

• Hold semi-annual blood drives along with the American Red Cross.