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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br /> Date: 08/11/14 <br /> Item No.: 11.a <br />Department Approval City Manager Approval <br />Item Description: Hearing to Solicit Public Comment on the 2015 Budget & Tax Levy <br />B <br />ACKGROUND <br />1 <br />At the February 24, 2014 City Council meeting the Council considered the proposed 2015 Budget <br />2 <br />Calendar which outlined a series of steps to establish an eventual budget. To date, the Calendar has <br />3 <br />included the following steps: <br />4 <br />5 <br />May 12, 2014 Preliminary report on budget and tax levy impact items <br />6 <br />May 22, 2014 Departmental budget presentations <br />7 <br />June 16, 2014 Discussion on City Council Budget Goals & Priorities <br />8 <br />July 14, 2014 Presentation of the City Manager Recommended Budget <br />9 <br />10 <br />The next step in the Budget Calendar is to hold a public hearing to solicit comment on the 2015 budget <br />11 <br />and tax levy. The purpose of the Hearing is to provide citizens with an opportunity to provide input on <br />12 <br />City programs and the budget and to gauge their willingness to pay higher property taxes and fees in <br />13 <br />order to maintain programs at current service levels. The City Council can then use this input to help <br />14 <br />guide the setting of a preliminary tax levy and budget. <br />15 <br />16 <br />For reference purposes, the 2015 Recommended Budget calls for a tax levy increase of $890,829 or <br />17 <br />4.9%. This will result in a tax impact of $7.56 per month for a typical single-family home. With this <br />18 <br />increase, homeowners will pay approximately $72 per month for core services including; 247365 <br />xx <br />19 <br />police and fire protection, well-maintained streets and parks, street lighting, and other services. That’s <br />20 <br />comparable to what a home pays independently for gas, electric, cable tv, broadband internet, or mobile <br />21 <br />phone service. <br />22 <br />23 <br />The Council is reminded to bring all budget-related materials received to date, to subsequent budget <br />24 <br />discussions. <br />25 <br />PO <br />OLICYBJECTIVE <br />26 <br />Holding a budget hearing to solicit public input is consistent with the goals established in IR2025, as <br />27 <br />well as the budgeting best practices. <br />28 <br />FI <br />INANCIAL MPACTS <br />29 <br />Not applicable. <br />30 <br />Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />