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As nearly as one can tell from the limited information available, the bulk of our tax dollars are spent for police, street maintenance, repair, and construction, and debt service on expenditures committed by our City Council in the past. Approximately 40% of our taxes support our police force. Yet, where is our crime? Approximately 85 to 90% of our police work revolves around traffic accidents generated by the retail traffic on our city streets and commercial crimes of burglary, shoplifting and theft. And it is not just the actual retail stores that increase our need for police, but the many levels of "assisted" living and senior housing. Another large portion of our taxes pay for street construction, maintenance and repair, the need for which is generated by the large traffic volumes brought to our city by retail development. Our very large debt service makes up another fixed expenditure in our budget. We are still paying for the addition to City Hall, much of which was generated by our Police Department together with its many amenities such as unnecessary underground parking which provides no benefit to Roseville residents. The City taxes support the Oval and the Skating Center as well, and the Council has increased the residents' debt service by approving the geothermal project to heat the Skating Center at an additional debt service on $3,000,000. This was all done without confirming the actual use of either of these venues by Roseville residents and understanding that neither is supported by fees or generated income. What are the services provided by our taxes exclusively for Roseville residents that are not covered by fees? Our streets are plowed and swept. We have a Police Department. We have a Fire Department. We have recycling. We have City Parks (although all related activities are fee for service.) These do not seem to be staggering services that should force Roseville to propose a 9% tax increase (even before the HRA levy) when the next highest proposed levy is a 6.1 % levy in St. Paul. A sampling of surrounding communities shows projected tax increases in Arden Hills at 4.8%, in St. Anthony at 0.0%, in Little Canada at 5.0%, and in Shoreview at 5.5%. Why exactly do we need so much more? What will the total really be when the HRA requests its levy? No one knows because we do not have any meaningful budget. Now our Council is being asked to purchase a portion of property for an undisclosed price without any information in the packet and all discussions being held "in executive session" away from public view. This is an expenditure of public funds. All discussions should be in public with adequate information provided to residents in advance. And, the Council should begin to realize that it is operating without a budget: afire truck here for $500,000, a land parcel there, a geothermal project with a debt service. Where is the public information and discussion? More importantly, where is the budget and long range plan? Our staff should be providing far better information than it is about our budget, and the Council should be demanding to have long range plans and meaningful information available to the public in advance of decisions to spend public tax dollars or to increase the debt service. There should be no decisions made about any expenditure until there is a comprehensive budget proposed, discussed, reviewed with public input, and accepted. Hopefully it will include projections into 2011 and 2012 as well. 3