1994 CAFR - Laserfiche WebLink

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711117, _. \ Jt11 . -. AND _._ R_A igla (CJ . - - Ramsey is located in the southwestern part of Anoka County and is situated approximately 25 miles from Minneapolis. The City has 28.8 square miles within its corporate boundaries and is bordered by two major rivers, the Mississippi River along the southern border and the Rum River along the east. Ramsey incorporated as a City in 1974 and is organized as a Home Rule City under a City Charter originally adopted in 1984. The City Council consists of a Mayor and four Councilmembers, and is elected at large on a non - partisan basis. Elections are held in November of each even numbered year. The terms of office are two years for the Mayor and four years for Councilmembers, but not more than two Councilmembers' terms expire in any one year. The Council is responsible for enacting ordinances, resolutions, and regulations governing the City, and appointing the City Administrator, City Attorney, and members of the various advisory boards and commissions. The City provides a variety of municipal services. These include a full -time police department, a volunteer fire department, engineering services, street and park maintenance, building inspections, planning and zoning, public improvements, general administrative services, and public water and sewer utilities in the urban service areas. JECONOMIIC CONIDIITIION AND OUTLOOK Since 1990, the City of Ramsey has been attempting to provide improved services to a dramatically increasing number of households in a time of fiscal constraints at the State level. It is estimated that Ramsey's population will have increased 30.4 percent between the 1990 census and January 1995. At the same time, aids from the State of Minnesota have increased at the lesser rate of 9.6 percent. The consumer price index, as one measure of the normal cost of doing business without any population growth, has increased 19.9 percent over the same period. As a result, the City has struggled to maintain and improve services while keeping property taxes at reasonable levels. The property tax rate between 1990 and 1995 has increased. In 1990 the local tax rate (City only) was 15.193 percent. In 1995, it is projected to be 19.968 percent. While the tax rate is in fact higher than five years ago, the portion of the tax dollar paid to the City is still about 170 for every dollar collected. The other 830 is paid to Anoka County, the School District (either Anoka - Hennepin District #11 or Elk River District #728), and special taxing districts such as the Metropolitan Council. Activity in some areas, such as new home construction, slowed somewhat during 1994. There were several issues that either surfaced or were brought to closure during the year as well. The City Council, volunteer Commissions and Municipal employees strive to provide services to the public at reasonable costs at the levels desired by the public. P1TA.JIOR 11 N1I'IPT[AMIVIES General Operations In April, the City of Ramsey was honored by a National publication by being declared the seventh best Minnesota metro area suburb within which to live of the 47 with over 10,000 residents. While such ratings are subjective, it is good news nonetheless. The City continues its policy of fiscal conservation and responsibility. The City reported in 1993 of its Al bond rating which is in response to its fiscal controls. Ramsey continues to have fewer employees per capita than other cities its size (at 2.56 per 1,000 residents, about half the metro average). Its expenditures per capita are also lower than most. ii