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Beverly Swanson asked if it is the present City Council that has to approve the budget or can the <br />new councilmembers have input as well. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley replied that it is the responsibility of the present City Council to approve the budget <br />before their terms are expired. <br /> <br />Councilmember Cich inquired if City Council would be able to vote on only the levy at this <br />meeting, or would City Council be required to vote on both the Proposed 1991 Budget and the <br />levy. <br /> <br />Miss Ashley stated that City Council must adopt a budget in order to justify a levy. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley read a letter to the City Council (attached as a part of these minutes) from Wayne and <br />Peggy Chapman of 16200 Azurite Street who were unable to attend the meeting. <br /> <br />David Cameron - 4950 177th Avenue - Mr. Cameron told the City Council that his property value <br />increased approximately 16.4% and asked where it would end. Mr. Cameron feels that they <br />cannot afford any more and would be driven out of his house. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley stated that if City Council did not want to levy taxes, some services could be <br />eliminated. <br /> <br />Resident - 15401 Jackel Street - Requested that City Council not accept the budget as written and <br />proposed that it be re~examined in order to make further cuts and "trim the fat". <br /> <br />Councilmember Peterson, also a member of the Budget Committee, stated that the Budget <br />Committee did just that and closely scrutinized the budget, cutting close to one million dollars from <br />the budget requests and feels that the Proposed 1991 Budget is at bare bones already. A great deal <br />of time was spent agonizing over what to cut. <br /> <br />Councilmember DeLuca commented that all known waste has already been cut from the budget. <br /> <br />Beverly Swanson remarked that she understands that City Council can only ask the taxpayers for <br />just so much, but that the City Budget is only a small portion of the tax increase. The County and <br />School District shares are increasing as well and the children in the city would benefit greatly from <br />expenditures for our park system. <br /> <br />Fred Ritchie commented that Andover became a city around the same time as Ramsey, but their tax <br />base is lower. <br /> <br />Mayor Reimann replied that part of the reason is that they contract with Anoka County for police <br />protection, the municipal utilities were installed before ours at a lesser cost and that the quantity of <br />commercial properties in Andover helps to reduce the residential tax base. <br /> <br />Fred Ritchie remarked that the proposed budget seems to be cut and dried at this point and the <br />public heating is merely a formality. <br /> <br />Councilmember Peterson stated that the Budget Committee meetings began in August, had been <br />announced in the Ramsey Resident newsletter and that input from the public had been welcomed. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley informed the councilmembers that they may or may not approve the proposed budget, <br />although if it was not passed, adequate notices of another public heating must be published in <br />order to adopt a final budget and have it forwarded to the county no later than December 28, 1990. <br /> <br />City Council Public Hearing / November 20, 1990 <br /> Page 3 of 4 <br /> <br /> <br />