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Regular City Council Meeting <br />Monday, September 13, 2010 <br />Page 19 <br />dollars from property tax levy dollars, since code enforcement affected all com- <br />munity residents and their property values. <br />Discussion included reduced interest earnings projections based on industry <br />trends, history and spending decision assumptions; PERA and employee health- <br />care assumptions and allocations; and temporary wage categories and impacts on <br />programs and services, supplies, and new efficiencies. <br />Johnson moved, Klausing seconded, adoption of Resolution No. 10840 entitled, <br />"Resolution Submitting the Preliminary Property Tax Levy on Real Estate to the <br />eh Ramsey County Auditor for the Fiscal year of 2011;" (Attachment A) adopting <br />the 2011 Preliminary Tax Levy in the amount of $15,039,419, an increase of <br />$757,015 or 5.3% from 2010. <br />Councilmember Roe, while supportive of the Preliminary Levy and Budget, sug- <br />gested that this was the upper limit, and should be reduced for final adoption. <br />Mr. Miller noted that the public hearing was scheduled for Monday, December 6, <br />2010, with final adoption of the Budget and Levy two weeks later, allowing for <br />discussions between now and then. <br />Councilmember Ihlan suggested that the Preliminary Levy and Budget should be <br />lower as well; opining that revenue projects for reduced interest earnings should <br />be included in the preliminary levy, since it represented a significant amount of <br />the proposed levy increase. Councilmember Ihlan spoke in opposition to shifting <br />code enforcement from building permit revenues to property tax payers without <br />looking at the Community Development Department's budget, if it was truly un- <br />sustainable, for other line item reductions based on current economic activity. <br />Councilmember Ihlan further opined that it appeared under CIP and Equipment <br />Purchases, that some of the proposed squad replacements representing approx- <br />imately $200,000 of the projected $236,375 could be deferred for another year ra- <br />ther than increasing taxes. Councilmember Ihlan further requested reviewing <br />COLA and step increases for employees in light of actions of other communities <br />and business employers, and not just assume inflationary increases are automati- <br />cally funded into the tax increase. Councilmember Ihlan noted preliminary tax <br />levies by Hennepin County and Ramsey County, and spoke in opposition to the <br />5.3% increase. <br />Roll Call <br />Ayes: Roe; Johnson; Pust; and Klausing. <br />Nays: Ihlan. <br />Motion carried. <br />Johnson moved, Klausing seconded, adoption of Resolution No. 10841 entitled, <br />"Resolution Directing the County Auditor to Adjust the Approved Tax Levy for <br />