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<br />The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents January/February 2018 <br />2018 tax levy unchanged from preliminary 4.0 percent rate set in September <br />At its December 11, 2017 meeting, <br />the City Council adopted a 2018 <br />property tax levy of $3,786,942. <br />This sets the City’s property tax levy <br />increase for 2018 at 4.0 percent, which is <br />unchanged from the preliminary levy rate <br />set in September 2017. <br />Funding from the City’s share of regional <br />fiscal disparities has increased for 2018 <br />and will contribute $320,003 toward the <br />levy total. The City’s tax capacity also has <br />increased, and taxes paid by City property <br />owners will account for the remaining bal- <br />ance, or $3,466,939. <br />The impact of a 4.0 percent levy increase <br />– applied to a net tax rate increase – trans- <br />lates to a $16.15 (or an approximate 2.0 <br />percent) increase in annual taxes paid <br />by resident owners of median valued <br />homes (value changing from $308,200 to <br />$333,800). <br />In Arden Hills, the entire tax levy goes <br />toward the General Fund expenditures in <br />the City’s budget. The property tax levy ac- <br />counts for approximately 76 percent of the <br />General Fund revenues. Due to the current <br />economic environment, $237,225 in re- <br />serves was used to balance the 2018 budget. <br />In 2017, the City had a reserves outflow <br />budgeted of $195,956, but due to various <br />cost savings the General Fund will likely <br />end at or under budget for fiscal year 2017. <br />Revenues <br />• General Fund revenues in the 2018 <br />budget are set at $4,939,531. <br />• The most notable revenue line item is <br />the levy amount, which will result in an <br />additional $145,652 in revenue over the <br />previous year. <br />• Building permits and other revenues are <br />expected to decrease due to changes in <br />fees set by the State of Minnesota. <br />Expenditures <br />• General Fund expenditures for 2018 <br />total $5,176,756. Public Safety costs <br />are set to increase by 5.7 percent for <br />the Lake Johanna Fire Department, <br />1.2 percent for the Ramsey County <br />Sheriff’s Department contract, and a <br />decrease of 5.3 percent for dispatch <br />services. <br />• After accounting for the Public Safety <br />increases, the remaining General Fund <br />budget increases are primarily due <br />to employee salary and benefit Cost <br />of Living Adjustments and budgeted <br />one-time expenditures. <br />• Expenditures for City Hall main- <br />tenance and infrastructure/capital <br />reserve fund transfers to address in- <br />creasing repair costs for the City Hall <br />are included this year. <br />Other Rate Increases: <br />• 2018 utility rates have not been adjust- <br />ed for 2018 yet due to a pending rate <br />study. The associated utility rates are <br />expected to change following the rate <br />study. Residents will receive updated <br />rates following the completion of the <br />study (1st Quarter 2018). <br />You can make a difference <br />Volunteers are needed to serve on the <br />City’s Planning Commission and other <br />committees. <br />Please visit the committees and commis- <br />sions page on the City website for more <br />information and to fill out an application. <br />Interested residents can also call or stop <br />by City Hall to learn more.