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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />DECEMBER 16, 2015 <br />ADOPT 2016 Keis opened the Public Hearing to consider adoption of the City's 2016 <br />BUDGET Budget. <br />The City Administrator welcomed everyone to the City's 2016 Budget and <br />Tax Levy meeting. Finance Director Provos gave a presentation and <br />reviewed the taxing jurisdictions that make up property taxes in Little <br />Canada. These include the City, School District (623 or 624), Ramsey <br />County, and Special Taxing Jurisdictions, which include the Metropolitan <br />Council, Metropolitan Mosquito Control Regional Rail Authority, and <br />Ramsey/Washington Metro Watershed District. <br />The Finance Director then reviewed the key budget objectives focused on <br />by the City Council and staff in setting the City's budget. These are: <br />Balance the General Fund; <br />Eliminate General Fund reliance on Local Government Aid; <br />Maintain services and programs; <br />Fund infrastructure repairs/replacement; <br />Maintain facilities and equipment; <br />Meet debt obligations; <br />Maintain AA+ Bond rating; <br />Preserve parks and open spaces; <br />Position the City to address future challenges and opportunities; <br />Stabilize the tax rate. <br />The Finance Director reported that the City's 2016 tax rate will decrease <br />from 30.696% to 30.305%, a 1.27% decrease. Little Canada's 2016 Tax <br />Rate will continue to be the 8th lowest out of 19 municipal jurisdictions in <br />Ramsey County. <br />The Finance Director compared the 2015 tax levy with proposed 2016, <br />noting the proposed 2.37% increase. She reported that when the 2016 <br />Budget process was started, a 5.0% gross levy increase was proposed. <br />The City Council reduced that increase to 4.0% for the Preliminary Levy, <br />and has worked to lower that increase to 2.37% being considered this <br />evening. <br />The Finance Director then reviewed a tax base and rate comparison, which <br />includes Fiscal Disparities. She explained a comparison of Ramsey <br />County cities tax rankings, and again noted that Little Canada is 8t' lowest <br />of Ramsey County cities. The Finance Director next reported on 2016 <br />residential property tax changes, noting that 42.6% of properties will see a <br />decrease to 0% increase in the City portion of their property taxes. 38.2% <br />will see a .1% to 10% increase, and 19.2% will see an increase of 10.1% <br />or more. <br />2 <br />