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Mounds View City Council Page Seven <br />Regular Meeting December 8, 1993 <br />Mayor Linke stated that the purpose of the FOCUS 2000 program is to help <br />advise the Council as to how to proceed. <br />Marilyn Fauchald, 8270 Red Oak Drive, stated that she was concerned about <br />Focus 2000. She stated that she was asked to fill out a wish list as to <br />where they would like to see the City in the year 2000. Ms. Fauchald <br />commended the Council on their fiscal responsibility. Taxes have more <br />than doubled in ten years. Mounds View is first government body that the <br />people can touch and that is why this City Council is taking the brunt of <br />the property tax issue. Ms. Fauchald asked the City Council to hear all <br />the citizens wishes, but try not to fill all of them. <br />On January 19 the Focus 2000 study group will present-their preliminary <br />report. <br />Councilmember Trude explained that part of the problem is the type of <br />government we have. The City Administrator has to spend many hours <br />researching and informing the Councilmembers on issues that require their <br />vote before action can be taken. <br />Steve Larson stated that the City must give up perks to receive benefits <br />on property taxes. <br />• Carolyn Crowl Breitbach, 8330 Pleasant View Drive, stated that she had <br />worked for the county, state and the federal government. Breitbach <br />stated that when one is budgeting at home one knows the funds have to <br />come from someplace. Usually, this means a loan not a pay increase to <br />cover it. The City has to live within its budget and make it happen. If <br />there is no money left over after the house payment and electric then <br />there is nothing to spend. Breitbach commended Council and stated that <br />she had enjoyed tonight's meeting. She has been a Mounds View resident <br />for 15 years. <br />Brian Sjoberg stated that he has a business in Mounds View and has also <br />received a property tax increase that he is not happy with. Mr. Sjoberg <br />attended the meeting to thank this Council, Mary Saarion, Samantha Orduno <br />and the staff for giving their pledge of support to his company. Dynex <br />was awarded the County contract for household hazardous waste. This <br />company is a great benefit to the environment and will, maybe in time, <br />help to increase the tax base and hopefully, someday help with a tax <br />decrease. <br />Bill Frits, 8072 Long Lake Road, stated that the Council has forgot one <br />thing regarding the property taxes and that is one's ability to pay. The <br />ability to pay is disappearing from Mounds View. Frits stated that Mounds <br />View has the .highest AFDC families outside of St. Paul and county of <br />Ramsey. 40~ of Mounds View's population lives in apartments or mobile <br />• homes, some of which are paid for by welfare. The City can't afford <br />these increases. Mr. Frits stated that he has had a 30~ increase in his <br />hospitalization insurance, but his social security benefits didn't <br />