HomeMy WebLinkAbout4353 - ADMIN Resolution - City Council - 1971/09/20Original
RESOLUTION NO. t 3
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING STATE ASSUMPTION OF THE
MAJOR SHARE OF EDUCATION AND WELFARE COSTS AS A
MEANS OF AFFORDING LASTING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF
TO LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT AND RETAINING THE
PROPERTY TAX AS A MEANS OF SUPPORTING LOCAL
SERVICES
WHEREAS, the power to tax and spend directly affects the decision-making
power exercised at each level of government, and
WHEREAS, decision-making power gravitates toward those units of government
which have taxing and spending authority and away from those which do not, and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of St. Louis Park believes the
combination of property tax limitations and a freeze on state financial
aids to local units of government will destroy the present state/local
decision-making balance, and
WHEREAS, municipal officials have been more conservative in increasing
municipal expenditures than any other group of public officials in Minnesota,
and
WHEREAS, the legislative process is already overburdened with local bills
and any reduction of decision-making powers on the local level will increase the
number of bills of a local nature above the 40% of 6,000 bills introduced in the
1971 session, greatly increasing the cost of the legislative session, and
WHEREAS, use of the Consumer Price Index as an index of inflation in any
tax limitation legislation will have the effect of forcing a continuing reduction
in local services, and
WHEREAS, a reduction in services does not greatly affect the tax bill of
citizens, but a reduction is greatly noticeable to citizens, and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of St. Louis Park believes that while
citizens want property taxes lowered they do not want municipal services reduced,
therefore
BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of St. Louis Park that:
1. There is historic and legal justification in the state assuming
responsibility for support of public education and/or welfare.
2. That the desire of the legislature to afford substantial and lasting
property tax relief can be best achieved by a state assumption of a major
share of the costs of education and/or welfare.
3. It is essential to preserve some reasonable balance between local
and state decision-making responsibilities regarding taxing and spending.
4. That a shift in the tax burden should recognize ability of
taxpayers to pay and that there should be a relationship between the source
of the tax and services provided.
5. Believes that the City of St. Louis Park should not be subject to
arbitrary levy limitations.
6. That the Legislature should reject the use of the Consumer's Price
Index as a means of measuring the cost of providing local services on the
grounds that the CPI measures increases in the costs of items which are not
important elements in municipal budgets and does not measure salaries and
wages which make up more than half of municipal expenditures.
7. It is essential to replace, by alternative sources of revenue, the
funds now derived from per capita and personal property reimbursement payments
if part of all of these funds should be eliminated as part of a new tax bill.
8. The Council opposes any freeze of per capita and personal property
reimbursement payments, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the City Clerk is directed to furnish certified
copies of this resolution to the City's State legislators, to all members of
the House and Senate Tax Committees, to Governor Anderson, to the Hennepin County
League of Municipalities, and to the League of Minnesota Municipalities, and
to the press.
Attest:
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ity Clerk
Revi
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City Ma
Adopted by the City Council September 20, 1971.
ministration:
or
Approjed as to form and legality:
City A
orney