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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, November 15, 2010 Page 17 13. Business Items Presentations/Discussions a. Final Discussion on the 2011 Tax Levy and Recommended Budget Mayor Klausing respectfully requested that Councilmembers use this opportunity to make their individual proposals for staff to incorporate into the budget to be presented before the upcoming Truth in Taxation Public Hearing to avoid last minute changes. Finance Director Miller concurred with Mayor Klausing, seeking further direction from the City Council in order to return to the December 6, 2010 budget hearing and provide the public with the most accurate information available, spending emphases and budget reductions, and subsequent taxpayer impact, for public comment on the direction the 2011 budget and levy for impacts to services and programs. Discussion included requirements and timing of public hearings for budget and levy adoption before year -end; staff efforts to alert the public to their opportunity to comment on the budget at the December 6, 2010 meeting; clarification of those capital equipment items listed in the CIP compared to staff's report related to 2011 capital expenditures for tax supported funds in the amount of $236,000, with Mr. Miller advising that the staff report was the most recent dollar amounts, and clarified that the CIP represented the budget as a whole for tax supported and non tax supported capital expenditures. Councilmember Pust asked that staff updated the CIP to reflect the most recent and accurate projections. Councilmember Ihlan opined that the City Council needed additional information prior to making further decisions on the budget; advising that she had requested that information from Mr. Miller: budget summaries for each department, which she had received. However, Councilmember Ihlan advised that she had not re- ceived the other piece of information, budget work papers, similar to those of last year, adding up to the totals on the summary budget information. Councilmember Ihlan opined that this documentation was important and useful, and was frustrated that she had yet to get a response to her information request; and if necessary, she was prepared to make a motion to facilitate receipt of those documents, rather than having to file a formal public information request. Councilmember Ihlan noted that last year's work papers were posted on line on the City's website on the finance page, budget reports, work papers 1 and 2. Finance Director Miller responded, as he had done so in an e-mail to Council member Ihlan regarding her information request, that staff had yet to finalize the budget work papers, and the only information available was the informal work- sheets given by each department to the City Manager in formulating his City Manager recommended budget. Mr. Miller cautioned that those worksheets