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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—DECEMBER 9, 2024 15 Finance Director Yang reported the impact would be a savings of $25 to $30 per year for property owners. Councilmember Monson clarified her previous comment noting increasing the City's tax base was one way to address an underfunded general fund, but noted she was not advocating for a larger tax base or that this was the full solution,but rathe was a solution. Councilmember Fabel questioned if the Council were to reduce the levy from 15.5% to 13.5% would cause Arden Hills to have the lowest tax rate in Ramsey County. Finance Director Yang commented if the levy increase were reduced to 13.5%, the tax rate would be 27.547%, which would make Arden Hills the second lowest in Ramsey County. Councilmember Holden encouraged the Council to not compare itself to other cities in Ramsey County because every other city was different. She stated she was worried about the citizens of Arden Hills. She discussed why commercial businesses love to come to Arden Hills because the tax rate was low. Mayor Grant commented on how neighboring cities were different from Arden Hills. He commented on New Brighton's tax levy noting this community received LGA and Shoreview did not. He stated Mounds View had its own police department and Arden Hills did not, so there were differences in each community. MOTION: Mayor Crant moved and Councilmember Rousseau seconded a motion to adopt Resolution 2024-059 - Setting the Final Lew at 13.5% for Taxes Payable in 2025. A roll call vote was taken. The motion carried 3-2 (Councilmembers Fabel and Monson opposed). Mayor Grant reported the second item for the Council to consider was the 2025 budget. Councilmember Holden recommended $30,000 be added into the budget as a placeholder under public works union pay. Mayor Grant stated the park building valued at $85,000 could be removed, the Hazelnut Park parking lot was down by $215,000, parks master plan down by $75,000 and this would reduce the budget by $375,000. Councilmember Holden recommended the FTE begin in July of 2025, which would accommodate the $30,000 needed for the public works union pay and that the parks master plan be moved out to 2026. She noted this would cover the needed savings. Mayor Grant suggested the park building expenditure be removed and that the Hazelnut Park parking lot be adjusted. He stated these two items would reduce the budget by $300,000. He reported if the parks master plan were pushed out to 2025, this would be another reduction of $75,000. Councilmember Monson indicated she would not support the pushing out the parks master plan or changing the FTE, but noted she could support the reduction for the Hazelnut Park parking lot and Cummings Park building change and adding back in $30,000 for the public works union pay.