Minutes - 2003/12/08 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council December 8, 2003 Regular Meeting Page 6 • Ayes - 4 Nays - 0 Motion carried. D. Consideration of Resolution 6149, a Resolution Adopting the 2004 Property Tax Levy and General Fund Budget. Finance Director Hansen indicated that Staff and Council have been working on the budget throughout the summer and fall and Council passed a preliminary tax levy as well as held truth in taxation hearings and work sessions to discuss the budget. He then indicated that the City's local government aid was cut by $450,000 and the City was only allowed to levy back 60% of what was cut and this caused a substantial amount of review and working on budgets. Finance Director Hansen indicated that Council chose to put an item on a special election ballot for the hiring of two police officers and that has been added. He then noted there were a couple of minor changes in the levy for fire equipment certificates and an item to discuss later as item 9G to provide for moving money from one line to another in the police department budget to allow for capital outlay. Finance Director Hansen indicated that Council would need to adopt this Resolution tonight and, if it is not, there would need to be another meeting no later than December 19, 2003. Council Member Stigney asked what the Staff has done to reduce the taxpayer's burden since the preliminary levy was set. • Finance Director Hansen ex lained that the Staffs ent considerable time reviewin and makin p p g g several hundred thousand dollars in cuts to get the budget to balance. He then said that Staff received no direction to cut any farther but did find a few items that could be further reduced to save a few thousand dollars. MOTION/SECOND: Quick/Gunn. To Waive the Reading and Approve Resolution 6149, a Resolution Adopting the 2004 Property Tax Levy and General Fund Budget. Council Member Stigney indicated that he understands the cut in LGA but thinks that Mr. Jahnke made good points on the fees the taxpayers have to pay on top of the actual tax levy. He the listed out the fees that taxpayers have to pay including the franchise fees, street light, storm water management, and water fee and commented that there is also the bonding for the fire department and the amount to be taxed to support the additional police officers all outside of the general fund. He further commented that he understands there will be a $1,000,000 carryover from the previous year and there is $9,000 to pay for a survey and the hiring of a receptionist and he feels that the City could do a lot better for its residents and he does not support this budget. Mayor Linke indicated that he finds it interesting that Council Member Stigney did not make any suggestions for reductions despite the fact that the Council went over the budget line item by line item other than to say there should be cuts. He further commented that it is frustrating that this • would be brought up now when he felt that by his silence, there were no issues with the budget.