06-22-99 Council Workshop Minutes

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL JUNE 22, 1999 Duray and Finegan continued with the report, and Finegan indicated that the committee also considered tax stabilization as a form of tax reduction. He noted the percentl~;es of the debt levy reduction allocated for capital improvements and tax reduction for the years 2000 through 2004. Duray concluded the committee report by saying that the City currently has a unique opportunity to address long-term fiscal stability by lowering tax rates, providing for future rate stability, and meeting the needs of on~;oing capital improvements. Recognizing that change is the only certainty, the committee feels that their recommendation will need to be applied in a fluid manner to ensure that the City maximizes benefits to its stakeholders. With that, Duray thanked the Council for establishin~ the committee and providing the opportunity for input into the decision-making process. He also thanked the City Administrator and the Accountant for their assistance in the process. Fahey thanked the committee for their work and expressed his appreciation. The Administrator indicated that the next step would be to hold a public hearing to formally receive the report. While this is not a statutory requirement, it will provide the opportunity to receive input from the ~eneral public. Fahey noted what w1s said earlier, that the City is only I S% of the tax burden. He indicated that the bi~gest share is held by the School District and suggested that the general public should be more involved in that budgeting process for the biggest impact on property taxes. Morelan felt that the process the committee went through provided a fresh perspective for the Council. He felt the process was very meaningful. Morelan asked the committee how they felt about the process. Duray reported that in working on the committee, he also talked to property owners in the City and asked their perspective on the issues. It was the general consensus of those he talked to that the City is being well run. Duray also stated that the process taught him just how complex property taxation is Finegan stated that he, too, talked to many different citizens who had a variety of suggestions for use of the debt levy reduction. Fine~an stated that the committee itself was comprised of a diverse ~roup of people, and all are comfortable with the consensus reached. Maahs stated that at the beginning of the process, committee members were at both ends of the spectrum. FIowever, working throu~h the process, the committee was able to reach a consensus.