Agenda Packets - 1997/02/24 - Laserfiche WebLink

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!' - al...........6....„ ;71aez .s , October 26 1995 1 t •-MouNDs ViEw • 11/ Ilt Till Fate of tax hike rides mi ; , , • . . .+ on bridge support ,,,, ,:. SHELBY NICOLAus-DUNSKI ' Supporters have urged the coun- t:; ; cif to approve the proposal,saying How much Mounds View tax- the bridge will provide a safe way : :1 payers will_pay in the:city's por- for pedestrians, mainly children, • tion of their taxes in 1996 rides on to cross the highly trafficked high- !. the fate of a proposed pedestrian ::way to get to retailers. and:.a ! bridge. .:. limey. City Council members are using • But support was waning,mostly . • the proposed bridge, to be built by Lake Court Drive neighbors, over Highway 10 near Long Lake during a budget informational • Road, as their litmus test for a meeting Monday night. property tax increase. "There are a lot of people who The $12 million 1996 budget can't afford a property tax wasinitially drawn up to include increase for something they don't • no property tax levy increase. use and can't understand," said Later, a 3 percent levy increase Gene Wagner, 2647 Lake Court 4' was included as a cushion for any Circle. unforeseen expenditures in the His sentiments were echoed by ! coming year. That amount is Henry Ruggles, 2629 Lake Court . expected to be lessened or elimi- Drive,who said the council would nated as soon as the city receives be"opening up a hornets'nest"by IIIfinal property tax estimates from building the bridge. Ruggles, a Ramsey County. •Planning Commission member, But the council could add anoth said the bridge would be the hub er 3 percentto the increase if of friction between skateboarding enough residents convince it to and in-line skating youths and pay for the bridge's construction. walking seniors. The . proposal received a If the council approved a budget $480,000 federal grant for its con- funded without a tax increase,city struction.The grant will cover 80 taxes on the average-valued home percent of building costs and of$85,302. would decrease by requires the city to chip in the. L26 percent,or S3. iremainder.. A 3 percent tax increase would With;xtrtitional study and archi- increase city taxes on that same ' ' tectural fees, the city estimates its home by about $7, or 2.88 per- share will be$185,000 for the pro- cent. And a 6 percent increase • posal, if approved.About S50,000 would cost that homeowner an chance to their feelings of that.will be tax-generated and additional SI7,or 7.03 percent. will dents a abe the Nov. air9 budget publicg the remaining is proposed to come will hearing. That hearing, atruth-in- from other city funds. But most homeowners are expect= E ed to see some sort of increase in taxation public hearing,will be resi- their taxes payable in 1996 because dents' last chance to voice their houses increased in value by an opinions on the budget prior to its average2_.65 percent this year. Dec. 6 final approval. The budget Council Member Sue Hankner includes a S3.5 million general fund said she would rather approve a budget. representing a 1.9 percent budget with a zero percent increase. increase over the 1995 budget. If residents want the bridge.she said "I'd like to see a ,Ic d number of she would rather cut the bud+get so people. one :Iirecuon or another—a that taxes do not increase. good representation of the cityn She encouraged residents to make just from one area."she said. council members aware of their Mayor Jerry Linke agreed. "We support or opposition to the pro- need to hear from our residents."he posed bridge. said. One avenue that will give resi-