August 2011 Gem Lake Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 Matt Bostrom was elected Sheriff of Ramsey County on November 2, 2010 and took office on January 3. He sought the office of Sheriff based upon a vision for law enforcement and public safety that encompasses providing safety through community policing, collaborating with local law enforcement, connecting with youth to build for the future, and other goals. With all this in mind, Matt is reaching out to the contract cities within Ramsey County that use the Sheriff's services for law enforcement. He will make a short presentation at the August 16 City Council Meeting so the public can learn more about his goals for county law enforcement. Sheriff Bostrom has nearly 29 years of law enforcement experience at the St. Paul Police Department with service as a police officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Commander, Senior Commander, Chief of Staff and much more. He received a Master of Education from St. Thomas and a doctorate in Public Administration from Hamline University. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. at Heritage Hall. We hope to see you there. New Sheriff in Town: Gem Lake Residents Can Meet Matt Bostrom at August City Council Meeting Tentative 2012 Budget Will be Voted On in August The proposed budget for 2012 is very similar to the budget adopted for this year. Overall, the total budget of $482, 692 is up slightly from the 2011 budget of $462,560. The breakdown of fixed versus discretionary expenses will be about the same. The total tax levy for the 2012 has been tentatively set at $325,972, up slightly from 2011, when the levy was $320,234. The tentative budget was introduced at the July City Council Meeting and will be discussed and voted on at the August 16 council meeting. As with the budget strategy for 2011, next year's budget calls for some money to be used from the general fund balance, in order to keep the tax levy as low as possible. Basically, the City of Gem Lake would be using up some of its reserves to keep property taxes as low as possible. On the revenue side of the budget most categories will remain basically the same. Total property taxes for the general funds are expected to be about $6,438 more than the 2011 levy amount. License and permit revenues are estimated to be about the same as 2011, with the exception of one more projected liquor license renewal. Fines and forfeiture are expected to be about the same. On the expense side of the budget, several increases are expected. For instance, expenses have been included for the 2012 election. Also, police coverage is expected to increase by 4.1%. You are encouraged to attend the August 16 meeting to provide your feedback on the upcoming budget.