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City Council Truth in Taxation Hearing Meeting Minutes December 6, 1995 ` Page 7 1 Mayor Ranallo stated he was not aware of Apache Mall closing. There were a number of 2 businesses located there. 3 Mr. Wiehoff asked if the City had approached other food chains besides Super Valu, such as Hy- 4 Vee. 5 Mayor Ranallo indicated the City has approached all the major food chains and other businesses 6 such as Mills Fleet Farm. K-Mart, and WalMart. He noted the residents had been polled and 7 there was no interest in a Hy-Vee store in Apache Mall. 8 Mr. Wiehoff stated he was mad at the whole thing. 9 Mayor Ranallo noted the tax on a$100,000 home was $362 per year. He stated there are seven 10 major lawn services licensed in the City of St. Anthony. Residents pay these services an average 11 of$610 per year to care for their lawn and plow their snow. In comparison$362 isn't a bad price 12 to pay for the services delivered by the Police Department, Fire Department and Public Work 13 Department. 14 Mr. Wiehoff asked how many full-time City employees lived in the City of St. Anthony. Finance Director Larson stated it was a small percentage but he would calculate and have that 16 information available for Mr. Wiehoff. 17 Mayor Ranallo noted that would have to be discussed with the City Attorney as that is private 18 information. He noted his own daughter would love to live in St. Anthony but cannot afford to 19 because of the cost of houses in the City. 20 Stan Nelson asked if the budget in the City was determined by the "bottom up" or the "top down" 21 method. He suggested giving the employees 0% in salary increase this year. 22 Mayor.Ranallo indicated all the other cities were giving 3-6% increases in salaries. He felt the 23 City was doing well by holding the increase to 3%. Mayor Ranallo stated the budget was 24 determined with the "bottom up" method. 25 Mr.Nelson stated in his experience in the commercial area of large companies, the "bottom up" 26 method is no longer being used in companies who are successful. The "top down" method is 27 used and limits are set. He felt the $113,000 increase in the budget could be eliminated without 28 affecting services. He recommended that in a good faith effort to help the people of St. Anthony, 29 the increase be removed from the budget or be taken from the $814,000 set aside in the City's �30 account. X31 Councilmember Fleming noted that may be possible if all things were equal on the state and 32 federal government level. But they are not.