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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br />DATE: December 3,2004 <br />ITEM NO: <br />Department Approval: <br />Name Ronald J. Mootse <br />Title City Administrator <br />Administrator Reviewed:Agenda Section: <br />City Administrator ’s Report <br />Item Description: Truth in Taxation Heaftng-2005 Budget and Tax Levy <br />Attachments: 1. Tax Levies—Actual 2004 vs. proposed 2005 <br />2. Tax Capacity, Local Levy, and Tax Capacity Rates <br />3. Effect of 2005 Tax Levy on Property owners <br />Truth in Taxation Hearing <br />The Truth in Taxation hearing is an opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide <br />comments regarding the proposed 2005 budget and tax levy. <br />Proposed 2005 Budget <br />The proposed 2005 budget reflects an effort to address a number of deferred needs, as well as to <br />fund a number of special projects, while managing the impact of the tax levy on property owners. <br />Goals of the 2005 Budget <br />The following is an outline of the goals of the 2005 budget <br />• To improve service delivery and customer service <br />• To provide a sustained drug enforcement effort <br />• To increase the City's capacity to use information technology <br />• To improve the maintenance of the City's infrastructure <br />• To take advantage of the opportunity to re-think the design and function of current <br />Highway 12, in preparation for the turnback of this roadway from the State to the County. <br />• To begin to address long term public improvement needs <br />Onnortunitv To Address Deterred Needs <br />Over the past 10 years, the tax levy has been increasing at an average rate of 3.98% per year. <br />This has been an important factor in enabling the city's tax rate to remain one of the lowest in the <br />County. Over the past several years, a number of priority needs have been identified. Howc\ er. <br />the impacts of the State’s budget problems, including State .^id cuts and levy limits, have caused <br />these needs to be deferred. <br />The 2005 budget is the first opportuniU ’ the City has had to address the deferred needs, in order <br />to have a substantial impact on the level and quality of services provided in the areas of Police.