HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996/12/04 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular CITY OF
ST. LOUIS TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING
PARK ST. LOUIS PARK,MINNESOTA
December 4, 1996
Present at the meeting: Mayor Gail Dorfman and Councilmembers,Jeff Appelquist, Jim
Brimeyer, Jeff Jacobs, Ron Latz, Sue Sanger, Robert Young, Charlie Meyer(City Manager),
Joanne Kutzler(Deputy City Manager), Mac McBride (Finance Director), Mark Feldman
(Assistant Finance Director), Bruce Stepnick(City Assessor).
Mayor Dorfman opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and explained that the public hearing on the
proposed 1997 budget and property tax levy was being held as required by law.
She further stated that the Finance Director and staff would be providing detailed information on
City revenues, appropriations, tax rates, changes in trends and other relevant topics. She briefly
informed those in attendance of the process which led up to tonight's hearing. She noted that the
1997 City budget is driven principally by the blueprint for the future -- Vision St. Louis Park.
Another element in the development of the budget is a business concept called"CARE" --
"Customers Are Really Everything".
City Manager Charlie Meyer said the public hearing was intended to receive public input. He
reported that during the past 7 years,there were 5 years when the City Council did not raise the
tax levy. In 1996 and proposed for 1997 a modest increase of 3%has been proposed. One of the
ways the City was able to avoid a tax increase for 5 years in a row is by relying on using some
balances existing in the City funds to, in effect, subsidize the tax levy or keep it even.
Unfortunately, there comes a reliance on the use of those special funds, those one-time revenues
and fund balances. There has been a concerted effort to end reliance on those extra monies and
have each year's budget rely strictly on the revenue that comes in during that year plus whatever
the property taxes are. This has been accomplished for 1997 with a proposed increase of 3%.
Finance Director Mac McBride presented an overview of the 1997 budget and the process.
City Assessor Bruce Stepnick next spoke. He said he would be discussing evaluation changes
and trends; property growth trends; tax capacity which is really a statement of what real estate
taxes are; City property tax trends; market value vs. taxes paid. He would go over the
remodeling law and finish up with property tax refunds.
A. Anderson, 4201 Cedar Lake Rd. addressed the Council. His concern was that when the
Gambling Board was established, one of its charges was that income from legalized gambling
would be directed to education. He asked how much the St. Louis Park School District had
received from gambling receipts and what percentage of the school allocation is represented by
the income from gambling.
Mayor Dorfman said his questions would better be directed to the School District representatives
and to his State Senator and Representative.
Mr. Meyer said he would be happy to direct those questions to the school district's financial
I representative and ask that he get in touch with Mr. Anderson.
There being no further questions from the audience or from the Council, it was moved by
Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember Sanger, to adjourn the public hearing.
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Mayor Gail Dorfman /
Rec rding Secretary