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Mounds View City Council September 11, 2000 <br />Regular Meeting Page 11 <br /> <br />maintenance, mother nature will erode away and as such, this Council is left with funding the <br />cost to replace the building. <br /> <br />Mayor Coughlin also indicated there was $30,000 worth of playground equipment to be restored <br />and renovated and a sum of money to adjust bleachers within the City for the safety of the City’s <br />residents. <br /> <br />Council Member Marty reiterated what Mayor Coughlin had said regarding the City’s primary <br />expenditures and indicated the issues in the budget have all been requested by the residents of <br />Mounds View. He said he is not willing to go back now on the residents’ requests. <br /> <br />Council Member Marty indicated no one likes to see their taxes rise but in this case it is for <br />causes that the residents need and want and he believes they will approve of an increase if they <br />receive what they have asked for. Council Member Marty then indicated and the Chief of Police <br />confirmed that the City has lost over $85,000 by not having additional officers hired at this point. <br /> <br />Council Member Marty acknowledged the budget increase is an outgo or a cost but looking at the <br />number alone does not take into account where the money will go and what the residents have <br />asked of the City and Council. He indicated he is unwilling to sacrifice what the residents have <br />asked for and will not change his stance. <br /> <br />Council Member Stigney indicated he agrees with the safety issues and supports that part 100 <br />percent. He said he believes the Council should juggle other things, look at how the City is <br />spending money, and prioritize or cut back because an increase of 23.17 percent is excessive. He <br />said he believes with some fine-tuning, the City could find a way to cut back. He also said he <br />had requested of staff an analysis of what would happen if each department were restricted to a 3 <br />to 5% cap and that information was not provided to him. <br /> <br />Mayor Coughlin said, in defense of Staff, it is procedurally inappropriate for Staff to act on an <br />individual request of one Council Member without receiving an official directive from the <br />Council and that is why information was not provided to Council Member Stigney. <br /> <br />Council Member Marty indicated Staff asked what was expected of them and Council did not <br />come up with anything specific so the department heads presented their budgets to Council and <br />Council was given a week to review them and ask any questions they might have. <br /> <br />Council Member Marty indicated he has reviewed the budgets provided to him and did not find <br />any loopholes or areas that could be cut. He said he feels the budgets are all justified. <br /> <br />Council Member Thomason stated she used to be an underwriter and an auditor and she knows <br />numbers and was overwhelmingly impressed with the zero “fat” in the budget. <br /> <br />Council Member Thomason moved the question. <br /> <br /> Ayes 3 Nays – 1 (Stigney) Motion carried. <br /> <br />Council Member Quick was not present for the vote.