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FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Apri128, 2004 -9- Consideration of Resolutions 04-10 and 04-11 re arding turn back of Hamline Roselawn and Hoyt Avenues from Ramse~unty (continued) Council member Lamb said that recently we have developed a trend where levels of government are passing off responsibilities and costs to lower levels of government. That is how they are meeting their budgets. Earlier in the day, while taking a break from sanding a floor, he sat down and tried to remember, over the past few months, what bugs him about this. He put together a list, outlined below, that he wanted to read to the Council and the viewing audience. • Federal government -passes "No Child Left Behind". Doesn't fund it. Passes it on to School Districts and the cost ends up on the property tax bill. • Federal government - mandates a ground water cleanup program. Doesn't fund it. Passes it on to the State, who doesn't fund it, and the cost ends up on the property tax bill. • Federal government -passes Title I. Doesn't fund it. The cost ends up on the property tax bill. • Federal government -homeland security. Partially funds it. Passes the rest of the cost on to the counties and cities. The cost ends up on the property tax bill. • • State of Minnesota -Assumes more responsibility during the Big Ventura budget fix for primary and secondary education. The administration changes. Doesn't fund it. The cost ends up back on the homeowner's property tax bill. • State of Minnesota -Reduces its commitment to mental health and medical coverage for the poor. Passes the responsibility to the counties. The cost ends up on the property tax bill. • State of Minnesota -Fails in its responsibilities to screen repeat sex offenders. Passes that responsibility to the counties. The cost ends up on the local property tax bill. • State of Minnesota -Reduces aid to cities under Governor Pawlenty's budget fix. Passes the costs to the school districts, counties and the cities. The cost ends up on the property tax bill. • State of Minnesota -Governor Pawlenty insists upon, and the Legislature supports, levy limits, which severely inhibits local government's ability to manage local revenues. Effectively and ultimately, if this keeps going on, this will cause cities to choose between funding essential services, such as fire and police, or funding mandates. • State of Minnesota -Over the last two years the State has changed the property tax classification system, lowering the taxes on business and commercial, and raising it on the homeowner's property tax bill. • State of Minnesota -limits levies, shifts the cost to the homeowners and then confiscates 6.5% of the property tax revenue collected by the cities, counties and school districts when the property tax dollar is spent on hard goods. • The trend of shifting costs to the City homeowner has worked so well at the Federal level, now he is thinking that the County is thinking about this.