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<br />FUNDING OPTIONS AND ASSOCIATED LEVY INCREASE <br /> Levy Increase <br />1 Base levy increase without funding new Firefighter posiƟons 5.44% <br />2 Absorb the cost of 3 addiƟonal Firefighter/Paramedics (1 for each shiŌ) 9.18% <br />3 <br />Use closed TIF District funds <br />returned to Ramsey County for <br />redistribuƟon to jurisdicƟons. <br />Saint Anthony’s porƟon <br />is esƟmated to be $990,000 <br />Use 2/3 of available funds over 3 years to reduce <br />levy by $217,800 for each of 3 years – this opƟon <br />retains 1/3 of available funds for new amenity <br />requests <br />6.93% <br />4 <br />Use all available funds over 4 years to reduce levy <br />by $247,500 for each of 4 years – this opƟon <br />eliminates use for new park ameniƟes requests <br />6.62% <br />5 <br />Retain all available funds in the Capital Funds to <br />reduce levy increases by $150,000 for six years - <br />this opƟon likely eliminates use for new park <br />ameniƟes requests <br />7.51% <br />Preliminary levy increases for ciƟes around the Metropolitan area are anƟcipated to be in the range of 6% - <br />13.4%, with an average increase of 8.8% <br />OVERALL LEVY FOR 2026 <br />The overall levy presented includes the General Fund, Housing Redevelopment Authority (HRA), Capital <br />Equipment, Building, Parks and Debt and Infrastructure Improvement Funds levies. <br />The proposed 2026 overall levy opƟons are listed above. IniƟally these opƟons ranged from a 5.44% to a <br />9.18% increase over the 2025 total levy. At the August 26, 2025 council meeƟng, staff were instructed to <br />move forward with the 9.18% increase for the preliminary levy and conƟnue to research opƟons for <br />reducing the levy while reviewing capital fund plans. <br />The Final opƟon selected was to apply $150,000 of levy relief to the Capital Improvement levy for each <br />of 6 years, reducing the total combined levy to $10,409,140, a 7.51% increase over the 2025 total levy. <br />This amount is slightly reduced from the previous look at opƟons due to cost savings applied. <br />The final step for the 2026 Budget project is: <br />December 9, 2025, City Council MeeƟng <br />The final presentaƟon of the 2026 Budget and Property Tax Levy (Truth in TaxaƟon) hearing is <br />scheduled, and staff will present a recap of the final 2026 Budget and the 2026 Property Tax Levy’s <br />impact on property tax bills. <br /> <br />62