Agenda Packets - 2003/09/22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council September 8, 2003 Regular Meeting Page 13 1 Finance Director Hansen indicated the school district reimburses the City for the vast majority of 2 the school resource officer’s salary. 3 4 Council Member Marty commented that two figures for diesel fuel had been used and he 5 suggested using the price of $1.70 per gallon in both line items. 6 7 Council Member Marty suggested that looking into the street signs that are not needed and 8 removing them to eliminate some maintenance and upkeep. 9 10 Public Works Director Lee indicated he looked into it and sign maintenance represents a small 11 fraction of the overall budget and would not have a very large impact. 12 13 Council Member Stigney indicated he read in the paper where market values of properties 14 increase 10 to 10.5% and asked what this would do to the 12.75% increase in the City’s levy. 15 16 Finance Director Hansen indicated the two are related but separate issues. He then said that 17 under the current tax system the City specifies the levy in terms of dollars that are spread across 18 the property in the City so market values has an impact of how much each property pays but the 19 levy is fixed. 20 21 Council Member Stigney asked what the median value of home is and how much of a dollar 22 increase this will be for residents. 23 24 Finance Director Hansen indicated that he had not prepared an actual dollar amount assessment 25 for this meeting but said that the average home will see more than a 12% increase and then 26 offered to research the matter and provide information to Council. 27 28 Council Member Stigney asked for information at the next meeting because when residents hear 29 the percent all they want to know is how much more it will cost them. 30 31 Council Member Stigney commented that he understands that approving this preliminary levy it 32 can be reduced but it cannot be increased but that does not mean the City cannot look at trying to 33 reduce it so he will approve it based on the condition that this will be reviewed for further 34 reductions. 35 36 Council Member Marty one of his concerns is in the last few years the state keeps dropping 37 commercial taxes to give business a break and his concern is whether the TIF districts will have 38 enough to pay back in a timely fashion. He then asked if this is still the trend that commercial 39 taxes are going in a different direction than homeowners. 40 41 Finance Director Hansen indicated that the last four or five years there have been changes in the 42 tax system to shift more of the tax burden to homes and the other thing is that the annual increase 43 in value of businesses is single digits and homes have been increasing in double digits. He then 44