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City Council Regular Meeting — 09/12/OS <br />DRAFT Minutes - Page 24 <br />to maintenance of City assets (i.e., 800 MHz system; and County <br />Road C streetscape); and suggested ways to defer expenditures <br />for one or two years. <br />Discussion included proposed funding sources; Police <br />Department budget requirements as an example; creation of a <br />"mini reserve fund" for maintenance purposes for several years; <br />and spending down of reserves and the advantages and <br />disadvantages. <br />Councilmember Ihlan spoke in opposition to another year of <br />double-digit tax increases. Councilmember Ihlan referenced her <br />e-mail distributed late Sunday evening, but not all <br />Councilmembers appeared to have a copy available. <br />Discussion included the amount of reserves held by the City; <br />annual interest earnings; responsible use andlor maintenance of <br />reserves; removal of audit and legal services from the tax levy at <br />this time as proposed by Councilmember Ihlan; and <br />identification of other revenue sources. <br />Mayor Klausing opined his concern with Councilmember Ihlan's <br />or Councilmember Schroeder's proposed policy to use reserves <br />or defer costs, thus creating additional issues and problems for <br />future Councils. <br />Councilmember Ihlan defended her proposals, similar to those <br />used by schools and colleges annually by deferring expenditures <br />from one budget cycle to another. <br />Further discussion included decision-making during election <br />cycles; department carry-over from previous years; and <br />ramifications of budget decisions, staffing, services and <br />programs. <br />Councilmember Maschka arrived at this point, at 9:20 p.m. <br />Mr. Miller advised that reserves had been dipped into over the <br />last several years; that no carry over of funds existed within <br />departments. <br />