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THE CITY OF ELK RIVER NEWSLETTER "THE CURRENT" -DECEMBER 1994
<br />
<br />Steering committee looks Storm water
<br />property tax fee dropped
<br />by Robert Minton, four-fifths are used to subsidize In July, 1994, the Elk River C'
<br />Steering Committee Chairman homeowners. Council discussed the possibility of -
<br />The biggest share of property taxes, Even more surprising to me, on a per ating a surface water managemen fee
<br />we are often told, is paid by business and acre basis, commercially zoned property that wo d be charged against all rop-
<br />industry. Individual homes, so the story excesses in Lakeville were almost twice ertyowne inordertohelpfinai storm
<br />goes, do not carry their own weight, be- as much as those from industrial zones. water imp ement projects. I was in-
<br />cause the cost of services from the city So commercial properties not only subsi- tended that 's fee would included
<br />and schools far exceeds the amount they dine homeowner property taxes, butthey with the garb e, electric, afar, and
<br />pay in taxes. The balance is made up by also do it very efficiently in terms of land sewer bills that sent ou by the Mu-
<br />business. use. nicipal Utilities. r re wing a sig-
<br />Well, we wanted some proof of this When the application for Elk Park nificant amount o pub c input from
<br />conventional wisdom on the Compre- Center was under consideration by the area citizens and p p owners, the
<br />hensive Plan Steering Committee, and planning Commission, several residents City Council has der ed not to imple-
<br />city staff member Steve Ach found a expressed the concern that the develop- went this proposed ace water man-
<br />study that amply demonstrates the ben- mentwould increasetheirpropertytaxes. agement fee.
<br />efits that business pays to homeowners. Quite the opposite appears to be em- In deciding n to c e reside~ats
<br />The study also has the advantage of phatically true, and if you are concerned and property o ners a m nthly storm
<br />being more or less local, from the city of about property taxes, this information water manage ant fee on air utility
<br />Lakeville should not be taken lightly. bills, the co cil looked at ternative
<br />The study took the commercial and The implications for updating the financing a roaches. In ord r to meet
<br />industrial zones of that city, and some- comprehensive plan are clear. In future the city's ebt requirement r storm
<br />how computed the cost of all tax-paid development, there has to be a healthy water ' rovement projects, a City
<br />services to those properties. What they balance between the residential, Indus- Counc' decided to conside a city-
<br />f undwasthat fully one-third of all taxes trial, and commercial zones. This is im- wide levy for debt and ongo ex-
<br />~ected by the city were in excess of the portent not only for property taxes, but Pe s that are necessary to mane a the
<br />t of services. also for jobs in the local area. Moreover, city's storm water runoff.
<br />When taxes paid to the school district the industrial and commercial zones have
<br />were brought into the equation, the dif- to be preserved well in advance, because
<br />ference between taxes paid and taxes oncetheybecomeresidential,itwouldbe
<br />used became rather astounding. That is extremely difficult politically to change
<br />because businesses as such do not send them.
<br /> 'll
<br />children to schools, but they do pay a lot These are some of the issues we wi
<br />of property taxes to school districts. For be considering at future meetings of the
<br />both city and school services, businesses Comprehensive Plan Steering Commit-
<br />paid about $ve +-irnes more taxes than tee. The meetings are announced in the
<br />the cost of the services they used. Star News, and at those meetings, the
<br />In other words, when businesses pay future of your community will be consid-
<br />property taxes, about one-fifth of those erect. We hope you will join us in our
<br />taxes pav for the services they use, and discussions.
<br />City of Elk River'..:..: :. ~.`
<br />a©ss oro~ ra~>t~y, ~ R"iver. MN sss3a, ~L$ R1VER ~'I'r"Y C©~~1C..
<br />ci~y Asll politer ~epartmeat P]ut$e i~eL
<br />P:4. Box 490 t'.O. $ox 724
<br />
<br />T~:LEP~iONE NUMBER-S ~~
<br />~#iAUk n 4t1-371'!{izl iS,bi~arge
<br />Ciiy Hall 4f 1-7420 +141-490$(mnr
<br />"
<br />Bui}dia¢ $ 2onin~ 44I-4900
<br />Street DepartmeaL 4#1-4910 I M~mbers-
<br />Counc~
<br />$obn l3ietz, 441-5783(l~ :Ward 1
<br />Police Departaaent 44I-2324 441-?4'20 ezi 480I(vm)
<br />li~asbevvatea 1~eatmeat Plant :441-4918 CSecllia Scheel 441.7b78(h) Wasd 2
<br />' ire ihpartmenf 441-4919 #dl-?420 ext 480'~(vm}
<br />Ellt Rivez Utilities 441-2020
<br />Ells Ricer Public L'brary 441-164i ~~, barber 441.8508(h) Ward 8
<br />'441-7420 ext 46Q3~vea)
<br />gFFTGE HOURS itt~z Hfllm¢ron '441-T828{b) Ward d
<br />City Hall - `.,341.7420 ext 4804(wn1
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