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Profile of the City <br /> The City is located in the northwest corner of Ramsey County, approximately eight miles north of the City <br /> of Saint Paul. The City encompasses an area of approximately 4.25 square miles.Population was 10,599 in <br /> 1970, 12,593 in 1980, 12,541 in 1990, 12,738 in 2000, 12,155 in 2010, and 13,249 in 2020. The City is <br /> empowered to levy a property tax on both real and personal property located within its boundaries. <br /> The City has been a municipal corporation since 1958. The City operates under a Home Rule Charter (the <br /> Charter)that was adopted in 1979. The Charter was most recently amended on March 15, 2023. The form <br /> of government established by the Charter is the Mayor/City Council plan. There is a Mayor and four City <br /> Council members, all of whom are elected at large. <br /> The City provides a full range of services,including police and fire protection,planning and zoning, streets <br /> and roads, parks and recreation, and a community center. Certain utilities are provided through Water, <br /> Sewer, Storm Water, and Street Light Funds that operate as departments of the City. The Economic <br /> Development Authority of the City is treated as a blended component unit of the City and is reported as a <br /> Special Revenue Fund. Fire protection is provided through the joint Spring Lake Park—Blaine—Mounds <br /> View Fire Department (the Fire Department). Only the City's contribution to the Fire Department is <br /> reported in these financial statements. <br /> The annual operating budget is the core of the City's financial planning. All departments and all funds are <br /> required to submit budget requests. The City adopts annual budgets for the General Fund and most special <br /> revenue funds. The state of Minnesota requires local governments to meet certain processes and deadlines <br /> for consideration, public notification, and adoption of property tax levies. These requirements form the <br /> basis of the City's entire budget process. <br /> Additional details on the profile of the City can be found in Note 1 of the notes to basic financial statements. <br /> Local Economic Condition and Outlook <br /> The City is over 90 percent developed with the majority of land having been developed as single-family <br /> housing. Since the City is primarily residential, many residents are employed in other parts of the <br /> metropolitan area. Interstate Highway 35W, U.S. Highway 10, and Mounds View Boulevard traverse the <br /> City, providing easy access routes for commuters and commercial traffic. Mounds View Boulevard was <br /> formerly County Road 10, which was formerly U.S. Highway 10, until a new freeway segment was <br /> constructed and took the name. <br /> The City had three new residential dwellings in 2025. This compares with one new residential dwelling in <br /> 2024.The City issued no new commercial building permits in 2025,compared with none in 2024. The City <br /> issued 1,264 building permits in 2025, compared with 1,304 in 2024, at a total constructed value of <br /> $12,424,483, compared with $11,354,549 in 2024. The City anticipates modest residential development <br /> and three to four potential restaurant/retail commercial developments in 2026. <br /> It is unlikely at this time that the City will see a reduction in anticipated aid payments in the next state <br /> budget cycle. The City prepared the 2026 operating budget at 90 percent of certified state aid and thus a <br /> reduction, if any,will have less of an impact on the City. <br /> The City has entered into tax abatement agreements for projects that,but for city assistance,would not have <br /> occurred. The benefit to the City is elimination of blighted and underutilized properties,job creation, and <br /> increased tax base in the future years. <br /> -ii- <br />