10-13-2011 Charter Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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HAND DELIVERED July 29, 2011 Dear Mayor and City Council of Lino Lakes, On July 28, 2011, the Lino Lakes Charter Commission unanimously voted affirmatively to adopt two (2) separate amendments to the City Charter by ordinance, in accordance with Minn. Stat. §§ 410.12 Subd. 7. We are now moving these two amendments forward in that process, and recommend that both amendments be adopted as soon as possible for the benefit of the voters and the taxpayers in Lino Lakes. Caroline Dahl, Chairperson, Lino Lakes Charter Commission Amendment to Our Charter Chapter 1 Section 1.04. Charter Commission. The City shall have an ongoing Charter Commission with responsibility for maintaining and updating the Charter, and for informing residents of the meaning or impact of proposed Charter amendments. Members of the Charter Commission shall be appointed by the Chief Judge of the local district court, and shall receive no compensation. Section 1.05. Amendments to this Charter. All proposed amendments to the Charter and corresponding ballot wording shall be submitted to the Charter Commission for review. The City Council may not directly or indirectly use public funds to inform the public about an amendment unless the City Council provides the Charter Commission with equal funds and opportunities to inform the public about the amendment. Amendment to Our Charter Chapter 7 Section 7.13. Tax Cap. The City shall be restricted in the amount it can raise taxes each year. The maximum levy shall be calculated in accordance with the provisions of Minn. Stat. §§ 275.70 to 275.74 (2010), as modified below. If the state legislature adopts new levy limits, the City shall be restricted to the lesser of the limits imposed under the laws in 2010, and the new limits. The City's levy for the year 2011 shall be used as the starting point for calculating all subsequent levy adjustments. Any unused levy authority from 2011 or prior years may not be used.. Levies imposed on a majority of the property owners in the City for a new special district or utility (such as a storm sewer improvement district, storm sewer utility, or lake improvement district) created after 2010 shall be included in the levy limit. These levies will qualify as "special levies" only if a majority of the City's voters specifically vote to authorize the creation of the special district or utility. For the purpose of determining the maximum levy, the original net tax capacity shall be used for all property which is both (a) placed in a tax increment financing district after 2010 and (b) being taxed on the basis of its original net tax capacity.