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Gem Lake News Page 2 of 8
<br />
<br /> Gem Lake Approves 2025
<br />Budget (continued from page 1)
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<br />Here are some changes that were made between the
<br />2024 and 2025 Gem Lake Budget:
<br />
<br />1. Based on the 2015 Refunding Bond schedule, the
<br />debt levy for 2025 is set for $79,711. In addition, in
<br />2018, the City issued bonds for the improvements
<br />on Scheuneman Road and the 2025 debt levy for
<br />this issue was $4,025. The two of these debt
<br />levies makes up the city’s 2025 debt levy of
<br />$83,736.
<br />
<br />2. City Council wages increased $9,000 to reflect a
<br />stipend increase approved earlier this year.
<br />
<br />3. The City Council contingency was left at $9,000.
<br />
<br />4. City Clerk/General Government budget includes
<br />$63,000 for wages and $11,550 for health
<br />insurance coverage.
<br />
<br />5. The Planning and Zoning budget was increased to
<br />$6,950, based on past expenditures.
<br />
<br />6. The Police budget was increased 13.85% to
<br />$147,402, based on the budget provided by the
<br />City of White Bear Lake. It includes $133,089 for
<br />police services and $14,313 for the new public
<br />safety building.
<br />
<br />7. The cost of fire services has increased 8.54% to
<br />$52,827. It includes $8,181 for fire marshal
<br />service, and $9,346 for the new public safety
<br />building.
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<br />a. Overall, the City of White Bear Lake is asking
<br />the City of Gem Lake to pay $23,659 per year
<br />for the next 19 years to cover the cost of the
<br />new public safety building.
<br />
<br />8. The Road Maintenance budget includes $20,000
<br />for road maintenance and repair and $8,000 for
<br />trimming boulevard trees.
<br />
<br />9. The budget for salt/sand was reduced $4,000 to
<br />$8,000, and the snow plowing budget was left at
<br />$14,000. Both these numbers were based on past
<br />expenditures.
<br />
<br />10. The Heritage Hall budget includes $10,000 for
<br />building improvements and repairs and $10,000
<br />for other improvements.
<br />
<br />11. A budget of $7,000 has been set aside for
<br />maintenance of Gem Lake’s walking trail in the
<br />southwestern area of the city.
<br /> 12. The 2025 budget includes $20,000 for future
<br />improvements.
<br />
<br />13. Revenue and other expenditure line items were
<br />adjusted based on past history.
<br />
<br />These changes result in the City proposed final tax levy
<br />of $718,736.00 for 2025. This compares to 2025
<br />preliminary levy of $733,757.00 and 2024 final levy of
<br />$697,081.00. Using a 2025 property tax levy of
<br />$718,736.00 and the City’s 2025 tax capacity
<br />($1,809,157.00) and median valued home ($443,750.00)
<br />for Gem Lake, that median valued home, would pay City
<br />property taxes of $1,680.37 in 2025 compared to 2025
<br />preliminary levy of $1,725.55 (a decrease of $45.18) and
<br />the 2024 final levy amount of $1,529.81 (an increase of
<br />$150.56).
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<br />
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<br />A complete copy of the 2025 City of Gem Lake budget is
<br />available at Heritage Hall or on the City website.
<br />
<br /> City Council Gains New
<br />Member (continued from page 1)
<br />
<br />Joshua says “It was a tough decision on my part to run
<br />for the council, but I want to continue serving our
<br />community in a more hands on role. My goal on the
<br />council is to help lead Gem Lake to a positive,
<br />sustainable future, while ensuring that our heritage and
<br />small-town feel is not forgotten. I am a huge advocate in
<br />the preservation of our natural spaces, that seem to be
<br />disappearing all around us at an alarming rate.”
<br />
<br />Joshua will be sworn in, along with the several others, at
<br />the next Gem Lake City Council meeting on January 21,
<br />2025. Welcome, Joshua!
<br />
<br />Ramsey
<br />Co., 36.0%City of
<br />Gem Lake,
<br />29.2%
<br />School
<br />Dist.,
<br />26.9%
<br />Misc., 7.9%
<br />Where your property taxes go
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