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PAGE B4 · STAR TRIBUNE *
<br />
<br />ME O/ ATE
<br />
<br />SUNDAY, sEPTEMBER 21 · 2003
<br />
<br />BUDGETS from B1
<br />Spending
<br />plans, levies
<br />varywidely
<br />among cities
<br /> The Minnesota House's
<br />nonpartisan research depart-
<br />ment, on the other hand, tak-
<br />ing into account the many re-
<br />strictions being placed on
<br />cities, predicted that most
<br />cities would levy to the max.
<br /> A Star Tribune survey of se-
<br />lect suburban cities, conduct-
<br />ed during the past week, re-
<br />vealed that the latter assump-
<br />tion, in most cases, is coming
<br />tree.
<br />· But-as the surveys were re-
<br />turned, for every apparent
<br />trend -- from eye-popping
<br />levy increases to sweeping cuts
<br />to quality-of-life setbacks for
<br />events such as Lakeville's "Pan-
<br />drama of Progress" -- another
<br />city would weigh in with a
<br />c. omparative shrug.
<br />, As Gary Carlson, legislative
<br />director for the League of Min-
<br />nesota Cities, said a few
<br />months ago: "I've got 853 cities
<br />in this state. Every one has a
<br />Unique set of circumstances."
<br />
<br />Wide differences
<br /> In response to a request, a
<br />dozen cities outlined their
<br />budget plans. Topics included
<br />proposed maximum levies, po-
<br />tential uses of budget reserves,
<br />specifying state-aid reductions
<br />and identifying one or two cuts
<br />the cities believed would be
<br />noticeable tO the public.
<br /> All of the cities except Rose-
<br />ville said they plan to raise all
<br />the money they can to recover
<br />§tate funding losses -- an
<br />amount state law limited to 60 '
<br />percent of the aid reductions.
<br />New Brighton, Fridley and
<br />Roseville each plan to tap more
<br />
<br />Spending plans under stress
<br />
<br />Though no trends are clear in the wake of state-aid losses, some Twin
<br />Cities suburbs will struggle with tax increases that are smaller than
<br />the growth in spending.
<br /> 2004 Percentage Proposed
<br /> proposed change 2004 levy
<br />City budget from 2003 increase
<br />
<br />Jordan $2.1 million +0.8 +~0
<br />New Brighton $9.2 million -5.9 +11.2
<br />
<br />Woodbu~ $23 million- -1.8 +3.8,
<br />Source: Star Tribune su~ey of c~ies
<br />
<br />than $1 million in reserves to
<br />plug budget holes~ Forest Lake,
<br />Jordan, Woodbury and .Eden
<br />Prairie would leave reserves
<br />untouched.
<br /> Officials in high-growth ar-
<br />eas -- including Lakeville, An-
<br />dover and Shakopee -- said
<br />that the double hit of budget
<br />cuts and levy limits means that
<br />even if they manage to prevent
<br />layoffs, city services will be
<br />spread thinner as their popula-
<br />tions grow.
<br /> There are big differences,
<br />however, in their respective
<br />levy proposals.
<br /> Proposed levy increases
<br />ranged from a low of 1.4 per-
<br />cent in Andover to 14.7 percent
<br />in Shakopee. New Brighton,
<br />Jordan, Fridley; West St. Paul
<br />and Roseville also will consider
<br />double-digit percentage in-
<br />creases.
<br /> (City levies make up one
<br />part of a homeowner's proper-
<br />ty-tax bill, along w:th county,
<br />school and special taxes; and
<br />property-value increases.)
<br />Fate of fireworks?
<br /> The most glaring cut: Frid-
<br />ley's proposed elimination of
<br />all four staff positions at the
<br />
<br />Star Tribune
<br />
<br />Springbrook Nature Center, ef-
<br />feCtively ending interpretive
<br />programs. After the proposal
<br />was announced earlier this
<br />summer, a community outcry
<br />led the city to consider alter~
<br />nate funding for next year.
<br /> In Lakeville, in a 35-page
<br />budget statement doubling as
<br />a "back-to-basics" governance
<br />essay, Lakeville City Adminis-
<br />trator Robert Erickson noted
<br />how funding may have to be
<br />reduced for the city's 3B-year-
<br />old summer festival, the Pan-
<br />orama of PrOgress or "Pan:O-
<br />Prog.' Proposed cuts include
<br />police overtime for Pan-O-
<br />Prog Beer Brats and Bingo,
<br />street department overtime for
<br />Cruise Night -- and the luly
<br />4th fireworks.
<br />
<br /> How big a loss could that
<br />be?
<br /> At the Pan-O-Prog Web site
<br />~ http://www.panoprog.org
<br />~ you will see a parade of clas-
<br />sic cars, a 2003 calendar filled
<br />with events such as a dance,
<br />cribbage and bowling tourna-
<br />ments, and a beach bash. Also
<br />featured prominently: the en-.
<br />dangered fireworks display.
<br /> Such losses exact a long:
<br />term cost to a community, said
<br />Hastings City Council Member
<br />Danna Eliing Schultz:
<br />
<br /> "The way government is set The fireworks display, he
<br />UP is that things move slowly ~ said, is the crowning event Of
<br />and things don't fall apart im- Rose Fest activities, and helps
<br />
<br />mediately," she said. But for
<br />residents, she added, there is
<br />definite "slow burn" potential
<br />in the loss of the little stuff and
<br />in the new inconveniences.
<br /> So, maybe municipal fire-
<br />works are the common thread
<br />in this year's budget debates.
<br /> Will Roseville skies be dark
<br />on July 4th?
<br /> No way, said Mayor John
<br />Kysylyczyn.
<br />
<br />attract the private donations
<br />that make the other events
<br />possible. He said he fears that
<br />cutting pyrotechnics could en-
<br />danger the reSt ofthe festival;
<br /> Another trend shot down;
<br />
<br />Anthony Lonetree is at alonetree@s-
<br />tartribune, com.
<br />
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