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Special Interest <br />Articles: <br /> <br />• 2025 Budget Approved <br /> <br />• New Member to City <br />Council <br /> <br />• Planning Commission <br />Vacancy <br /> <br />• Plastic-Free Challenge <br /> <br />• Online Payment Portal <br /> <br />• City News, Page 7 <br />Scheduled Recycling <br />Dates: <br /> <br />• January 2 <br /> <br />• January 15 <br /> <br />• January 29 <br /> <br />• February 12 <br /> <br />• February 26 <br /> <br />Gem Lake Approves 2025 Budget <br /> <br />Minnesota State Statutes require all cities to <br />certify their final property tax levy by December <br />31. That levy funds each city’s operating budget <br />(General Fund) and any debt payments. If a final <br />levy is not approved by the deadline, then <br />whatever a city approved as their preliminary <br />budget number in September becomes the <br />official budget. <br /> <br />The Gem Lake City Council held its “Truth in <br />Taxation” public hearing on December 17, <br />approving a final property tax levy of $718,736, <br />which is a 3.11% increase from the 2024 final <br />tax levy. The tax levy consists of a debt levy of <br />$83,736 (an increase of $2,182 over 2024) and a <br />general operating levy of $635,000 (an increase <br />of 3.16% over 2024). <br /> <br />The final tax levy of $718,736 is down $15,021 <br />from the preliminary budget estimate, which is <br />somewhat typical in the budgeting cycle. By <br />state law, the final budget cannot exceed the <br />preliminary estimate, which is used for truth in <br />taxation notices to citizens. This means that <br />most cities do worst case scenario budgeting <br />while they gather final budget numbers. <br /> <br />(Continued on Page 2) <br /> <br /> <br />City Council Gains New Member <br /> <br />Joshua Patrick was elected to the Gem Lake <br />City Council on November 5 and will be <br />assuming office as of January 1, 2025. He has <br />been a resident of the city since 2020 but has <br />been working in the city since 2011. Joshua is a <br />building/boiler engineer currently working as a <br />caretaker for an estate owner within the city. <br /> <br />He describes himself as an “avid outdoorsman <br />who loves bow hunting and fishing.” Joshua has <br />been a member of the Gem Lake Planning <br />Commission for four years, two of those serving <br />as Chairman. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with <br />my other commissioners, helping to shape and <br />fine tune our city’s land use ordinances. I feel my <br />time on the Planning Commission has prepared <br />me for serving on the City Council.” <br />(Continued on Page 2) <br /> <br /> <br />Gem Lake News <br />January 2025 | Volume 19 | Issue 1 Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Newsletter Editor <br />