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<br />City Council Regular Meeting - 08/22/05 <br />Minutes - Page 22 <br /> <br />maintain services city-wide, while ensuring staff received <br />adequate compensation. Councilmember Kough was looking at <br />a levy increase of between 7% and 8%, holding service standards <br />steady. <br /> <br />Mayor Klausing expressed his appreciation to Councilmember <br />Kough for his realistic observations; opining that while he was <br />sensitive to those on fixed incomes, it needed to be balanced with <br />the quality of life expectations of residents who were willing to <br />pay for quality services. Mayor Klausing noted that the City was <br />continuing to deal with decisions on a state level that impacted <br />the City, in addition to the realities of increased city operating <br />costs (i.e., rising fuel, vehicle and health care costs). Mayor <br />Klausing opined his support of a levy increase closer to 9%, with <br />phasing of requests by the Police Department. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kough opined that a reasonable budget and <br />service level could be maintained through use of reserves to keep <br />taxes down, while running the city efficiently. <br /> <br />Mayor Klausing noted the discussion was related to structural <br />imbalances and regular operating expenses, not use of "rainy <br />day" funds such as that recently used for additional costs of <br />$45,000 for tree removal, being relied upon for general operating <br />expenses, and cautioned the Council using that rationale. <br /> <br />Councilmember Schroeder noted that he was in the process of <br />preparing a more detailed outline of his recommendations that he <br />would forward to staff and Councilmembers upon completion, <br />opining that the Council needed to use the information provided <br />for each specific department with their interpretation of where <br />the City should be headed, in addition to input from residents in <br />an effort to provide government services at a fair and reasonable <br />cost. Councilmember Schroeder noted that some items were <br />one-time costs (i.e., County Road C streetscape) and could be <br />paid from tax reduction funds and allow the City to look at <br />recurring budget items in determining a levy amount. <br />Councilmember Schroeder was tentatively looking at a 3.69% <br />levy increase, basically 4%, without stripping departments, <br />through removing one-time expenses for 2006 (i.e., election, <br />police record management, skating center capital improvements) <br />