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FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -5- March 10, 2004 Tax and Expenditure Limitations (TEL) Resolution (continued) WHEREAS, regardless of whether TABOR/TELs are applied just to the State or to local governments as well, these proposals would bring great harm to local communities through continued reductions in state funding, increases in unfunded State mandates, and, potentially, direct tax and expenditure limitations at the local level, which would severely erode decision-making at the local level and the ability to provide the basic services residents and businesses expect and deserve; WHEREAS, such proposals would force the State, and potentially cities, to spend valuable time and money asking for permission from the same people who elected them before any action can be taken on important issues, and would also force taxpayers to pay twice for governance -once for elections of their State and local officials, and again for elections to make the decisions those officials should have made. WHEREAS, such proposals contradict the fundamental principles upon which our constitution and system of government are based -that representative, not direct, democracy is the most effective form of government as it is most likely to result in good public policy; WHEREAS, those states that have instituted proposals similar to the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, such as Colorado, now face severe problems in meeting the basic needs of their citizenry; WHEREAS, the prevalence of unfunded mandates from the state to cities has imperiled the fiscal health of local government; WHEREAS, the state has made known its displeasure at the notion of unfunded mandates handed down from the federal government to the state government, and the imposition of unfunded mandates from state to local government is similarly hypocritical on the part of the state; WHEREAS, local eovernment representatives are elected to govern at the local level, it is deeply_inappropriate for state government representatives to usurp the power of local government representatives through mandate and constitutional amendment; WHEREAS, any restriction of taxing authority to elected representatives at the local level is an implicit abolishment of local government control. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the city of Falcon Heights that this Council believes that state and local elected officials are elected to do a job -that job is to represent the interests of their constituents, to deal with difficult decisions, to thoughtfully debate and determine the best course of action for the state or the community they serve. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Council opposes limits on state and/or local taxes and expenditures, whether through constitutional amendment or other means, and supports the principle of representative democracy as the best route to sound public policy. ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF FALCON HEIGHTS ON MARCH 10, 2004. Election year discussion and consideration Mayor Gehrz said this item was on the Council agenda at the request of Council member Lindstrom. 5