2002 December Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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To the residents of Nu go: I'd like to begin by thanking all of you for the confidence you've shown in me and in the entire City Council and staff. I believe that our recent election, in which both the City Council members and I were not only re-elected but unopposed,demonstrated your confidence in our leadership and in the way we have handled the important issues fac- ing Hugo. The passing of the liquor license referendum also underscores the confidence that Hugo residents seem to have in the City Council. First, you took the time to read the information regarding the issuance of new liquor licenses and to understand the issue. And secondly, you showed that you trust the City Council in making good discretionary judg- ment in issuing those new licenses. Please be assured that we will use our best judgment when we issue the new liquor licenses. With respect to the 2003 City budget there are a few things I'd like to make note of. First, building permits in Hugo, and permits in general, are down, so we're not generating the level of revenue that we have been in the past. In addi- tion, we have some fairly significant budgetary demands in the areas of public works and public safety—specifically, replacement and purchase of equipment in both of those areas. This will have a significant impact on the budget,par- ticularly if the Council chooses to handle some of these equipment needs through our budget process rather than indebtedness. The Council is very concerned about incurring more indebtedness,and of course we don't want to jeop- ardize the AAA bond rating that we've enjoyed now for some time. We are also significantly affected by the fact that Hugo is not anticipating receiving any state aid this year, due to the state's budget situation. The Council, staff, and I have worked very hard on the 2003 budget. We've probably spent more time on this year's budget than we have on any budget in the past 12 years—scrutinizing and reviewing every item. We have been very conservative in our approach. Some departments,such as the Fire Department,have made some major cuts from what was initially requested. However, because we want to maintain the level of services that Hugo residents have been accustomed to with respect to public safety and service, most of you will experience a small increase in property taxes. A key factor in the budgetary needs with regard to public works has been the fact that Hugo has essentially had to build a Public Works Department from scratch. Washington County has been phasing out the road maintenance ser- vices it provides to the City. They have agreed to cooperate with us in the transition and to help us in an emergency situation, but as of next year, Hugo will be responsible for all of our own snow plowing, grading of gravel roads, road repair, and other road maintenance. I believe the transition has been progressing very well. First,we have had strong leadership on the part of Chris Petree, our Director of Public Works, who has an excellent understanding of how to run an effective public works depart- ment. In addition, because of budgetary constraints, the Council decided to purchase and refurbish used equip- ment from the county rather than buying new. This might mean replacing the equipment sooner, but offers us some significant initial cost savings. I'm sure many of you will notice our Hugo City logos on the snow plowing equipment this season. I think that as a community, we can take pride in the fact that we're now providing these services to our residents. With best wishes for a happy holiday season, Mayor Fran Miron 4