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City Council approves 2014 budget and tax levy by Kristine Goodrich A A modest tax levy increase was ment planning and some mainte A - Where your City tax dollar goes A approved by the City Council in nance of streets and trails. Exclud A - December, along with a 2014 bud A ing those, operating expenses are A - get. Overall expenditures are increasing 9 increasing 1 percent. percent over 2013, but mostly for capital projects that dont impact the tax levy. Increased costs for public safety services account for 1.6 percent of Levy increases by two percent the 2-percent levy increase. The The 2014 City tax levy was set at $3.26 contract fees for the Lake Johanna million, a 2-percent increase from 2013. Fire Department and Ramsey In September, the Council set a maximum PublicGeneral Parks and PublicTransfers Safety GovernmentRecreation Works1¢ levy of $3.29 million. A few spending nearly 4 and 3 percent respective - 42¢30 ¢10.5¢ 16.5¢ ly. The cost for 911 dispatching, City taxes on a median-valued home of which is getting a system upgrade, $264,700 will increase by approximately is jumping nearly 16 percent. departments with a regular part-time ac - $23. The Citys 2014 tax rate is 28 per - cent, compared to 27.9 percent in 2013. failed to gain Council approval and fund - A part-time planning intern position was ing to keep the intern positions was not changed to a full-time staff position to The levy funds more than three-fourths of added back into the budget. help with the increased workload in the the Citys operating expenditures, bud - planning department due to TCAAP geted at nearly $4.4 million. The General Capital Improvement Plan approved preparations. A request from City admin Fund now includes two expenses that were - The Council also approved a 2014 Capital istration to replace three part-time intern previously accounted for in other funds: Improvement Plan in December. The reimbursable costs for TCAAP redevelop - Continued on page 5 Other components of the Citys 2014 budget: The Celebrating Arden Hills festival wont be held in 2014. The Utility rates are increasing 2 percent for water and sewer and build reserves in the utility funds to pay for maintenance proje City staff will receive cost-of-living wage adjustments: non-un Costs associated with Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant redevelo A new expense this year is a $14,500 contribution to Northeast Y gambling proceeds supported NYFS on the Citys behalf. No funding was taken out of reserves to balance the operating bu used to fund equipment replacement. A new state sales tax exemption will save the City $85,000, incl levy. The City will receive an additional $14,000 in Fiscal Disparitie