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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — NOVEMBER 24, 2025 12 Mayor Grant wanted confirmation if Councilmember Rousseau is suggesting we remove six points from the 15.97% or from the original 18.3%. Councilmember Rousseau said from the 15.97%. Councilmember Holden wants to understand the $122,000. Did our budget spend more than the levy amount in 2025? Finance Director Yang said we did not. She is talking about actuals vs. budget. On the budget side we didn't set the levy at the amount that we thought we needed. We built the 2026 budget off of the 2025 budget. Councilmember Holden said that's why a budget adjustment makes sense. It isn't a math problem to solve. We are actually reducing the costs to the City. If we do a budget adjustment for the $122,000 our reserve dollar amount goes down. Then when we add 2026 on top of it, our reserve number is lower because the 2025 number was lower. Finance Director Yang said we don't have to do a budget adjustment if Council deems that some costs are budgeted too high. Councilmember Holden said there is a monetary difference with the $122,000. When we build on 2026, we're building on a foundation that is $122,000 lower so the reserve isn't going to be as high as if we took it from the existing 2025 to the new 2026. So, it is a reduction in costs. Finance Director Yang confirmed. We need to solve for the $122,000. For 2026 we still have the same issue. Councilmember Weber said, the current proposed levy is at 15.97%, call it 16%. The most straight forward way to solve it is to levy and that would be approximately two points so we're back to 18%. Finance Director Yang said the 15.97% includes the underfunded $122,000 levy amount. Councilmember Weber thinks Councilmember Rousseau's recommendation to find items to purchase now, would mean budget amendments to 2025 to pay for the permit software or some piece of equipment. Aren't we still taking it into 2026. Finance Director Yang said we wouldn't need to do a budget adjustment for 2025. If Council decides that they want to spend $60,000 on permit software this year, we can utilize the surplus to pay it. It is a one-time cost that wouldn't require a budget adjustment. Councilmember Weber thinks that is part of the solution. Mayof Grant said it appears everyone agrees that makes the most sense. It also wouldn't push the goal post for 2026 so far out. Councilmember Monson thinks the goal is to bring the levy down as much as possible with trying to get to the 50%. She is okay with the EDA being a one-time $50,000 payment. Any other equipment we can pull forward will be nice but she doesn't know how the math shakes out.