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Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />Lino Lakes City Council <br />Special Work Session <br />Minutes <br /> <br />DATE: August 18, 2025 <br />TIME STARTED: 6:46 P.M. <br />RECESSED/RECONVENED: 9:10 P.M. / 9:17 P.M. <br />TIME ENDED: 10:52 P.M. <br />LOCATION: Community Room <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Rafferty Councilmembers Ruhland, Lyden and <br /> Stoesz <br />MEMBERS EXCUSED ABSENT: Councilmember Cavegn <br /> <br />Staff Members Present: City Administrator Karen Anderson, City Clerk Roberta Colotti, Interim <br />Finance Director Kelly Horn, Finance Director Tracy Thoma, Community Development Director <br />Mike Grochala, Human Resources and Communications Manager Meg Sawyer, Chief of Police <br />Curt Boehme, Fire Chief Dan L’Allier, Fire Lieutenant Brian Finke, Public Services Director Rick <br />DeGardner, and Public Works Superintendent Justin Williams. <br /> <br />1. Call to Order and Roll Call <br />Mayor Rafferty called the meeting to order at 6:46 p.m. <br /> <br />2. Setting the Agenda: Addition or Deletion of Agenda Items <br />The agenda was adopted as presented. <br /> <br />3. Preliminary Tax Levy, General Fund Budget 2026 CIP – Overview <br />The Interim Finance Director presented information on Lino Lakes market values, tax <br />capacity, and five-year historical taxable market values. It was noted that market values <br />start with Anoka County’s assessment of property values. The 2026 taxable market <br />value has increased over last year, and Lino Lakes has a slightly higher property value <br />than the average in Anoka County. <br /> <br />The Interim Finance Director stated that in 2025 Lino Lakes was ranked the 8th lowest of <br />21 cities in Anoka County. Currently we are on the lower end of this pack of cities that <br />are all hovering right around 40-45% city tax capacity rates. If we were to apply our <br />proposed 2026 rate to this graph we would move to exactly where Bethel is now, and <br />we’d be the 14th lowest of 21 cities, but still in the pack that are close together, and still <br />solidly below the cities on the high end of the graph. The actual levy of other cities in <br />2026 will determine our standing after the 2026 budgets are finalized across the county. <br /> <br />The Interim Finance Director stated that the proposed 2026 preliminary total operating <br />and debt levy is $18,217,980. Providing for a city tax capacity rate of 43.442% in 2026. <br /> <br /> <br />Page 19 of 168