Centerville's rank of 14th-highest in city tax rates was good news: The city has been the highest-taxed city in the past. "It's a huge improvement for us," Mayor Mary Capra said. She said the average property owner has seen an increase in city taxes of only $63 in the past seven years. The city is getting creative. Today, the city is sponsoring what Capra calls "our own little economic stimulus package." The event, called Dash for Cash, includes a drawing for $500 in "Cougar Cash" that can be spent only in Centerville businesses. The idea is to promote city businesses and the city overall. "We have a bare-bones staff," Capra said. "This city council is conservative."
HIGHEST OVERALL TAX RATES
1. Carver
2. Victoria
3. Centerville
4. Savage
5. Circle Pines
6. Lexington
9. Dayton
7. Golden Valley
8. Farmington
10. Minneapolis
Pioneer Press-12/9/2008
If you want to see the Minnesota Capitol lit up at night, go there before 11 p.m. That's when they turn off the lights.
State officials used to illuminate Minnesota's most famous building all night. Commissioner of Administration Dana Badgerow said Monday her department recently reduced the hours of lighting as part of an effort to cut energy consumption in the Capitol complex by 10 percent.
"The TV crews can still do their shots for the 10 o'clock news," Badgerow said.
From July through October — the first four months of the program ordered by Gov. Tim Pawlenty — energy use at "Capitol campus" buildings has decreased by 3.5 percent, said David Fielding, plant management director for the Department of Administration.
The state spent $9.3 million to heat, light and power the 4.7 million square feet of space in those 16 buildings last year. If administration officials meet their conservation goal, they'll save taxpayers nearly $1 million this year.
Asked if they'll reach that goal, Fielding replied, "It won't be for lack of trying. I think we've got a very good chance."
The program started with the simple step of asking state employees to get rid of their space heaters, fans, microwave ovens and other personal appliances. "We deprived them of a few conveniences — maybe," Badgerow said.
A city-by-city look...
Communities across Minnesota are being forced to cut back and lay off staff as they prepare for the new year.
The League of Minnesota Cities warned Tuesday that many cities are scrambling to cope with the slumping economy, declining revenue and rising costs.
In addition, the state could experience one of its biggest deficits, and that "could really wreak havoc on city budgets for 2009 and beyond," said Gary Carlson, the League's director of intergovernmental affairs.
The state economic forecast is due out Thursday.
"I think cities are a little bit on edge," Carlson said.
City leaders fear the Legislature may reduce state contributions to local governments to meet its own budget. Many communities rely on Local Government Aid to finance basic services. And cutting state Market Value Homestead Credit reimbursements, which make up for homestead tax breaks, can leave a hole in city coffers.
Lino Lakes faces making midyear budget cuts if it loses its reimbursement, which adds up to about $240,000, said city administrator Gordon Heitke. The Legislature has made such cuts in the past.
"Our greatest concern for 2009 is whether the Legislature will take some action to adversely affect our budget as they deal with their fiscal challenges," he said.
Cities across the east metro are looking for ways to make the painful cuts:
Pioneer Press
By Brady Gervais and Mary Divine
"I am the best candidate with the most experience and have proven I can handle difficult issues and make tough decisions. I make all of my decisions based on all of the residents of the city, not just one special interest group. I have been elected twice because I keep my promises, I am honest, and the residents trust me. "Agreed to submit a grant application through the Safe Routes to Schools program in the hope that the old adage, “Third time’s a charm” will be true for this particular project. The application for funds to construct a tunnel crossing under CSAH 14 near Centerville Elementary School has been rejected twice previously, but city engineer Mark Statz said the city had been given a “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” from MnDOT that the application would likely succeed this time around. Council members expressed concern that if successful, the project would require the digging-up of a section of the newly relaid Main Street, but agreed that they would make a decision on whether to proceed if the funds were allocated to Centerville. “I’m just baffled at how this stuff works,” said Council Member Jeff Paar, commenting on the news that the application might be successful after the reconstruction of CSAH 14 had occurred.
The Citizen
CENTERVILLE - City officials have announced they are examining a proposal to drop special assessments on the water portion of the 2009 street improvement project.
Instead, a connection fee would be charged to all homeowners as and when they choose to hook up to the municipal water.
In the meantime, the immediate cost of the improvements would be paid for out of the utilities enterprise fund, according to minutes of a Nov. 5 special session.
The possibility was discussed at the Nov. 12 city council meeting. “We had looked at the potential of pulling out of special assessments for the water part of the project,” explained Mayor Mary Capra. “One of the largest assessments in this project is the improvement of the city water.”
It was also announced that the Dec. 1 public hearing on the special assessments to homeowners affected by the project had been postponed to allow city council members more time to investigate options.
The special assessment hearing, at which homeowners will be permitted to challenge the exact amount of their assessments under the project if they wish, is now likely to be scheduled for the first week in January.
Discussion at the special council session convened on Nov. 5 had raised several issues, including the possibility of the connection charge rather than assessment on the water part of the project.
Other areas to be investigated include asking the Rice Creek Watershed District to relax its requirements on rain gardens (accounting for about $250,000 of the project cost), and extending the drop-dead date for water hook-up in the city.
Figures presented at the Nov. 12 meeting indicated that the cost of the city portion of the 2009 street improvement project was $2.8 million, which is an impact to all property owners across the city, amounting to approximately $152 for a home valued at $250,000 or $259 for a commercial property at the same rate.
Louise Edwards
The Citizen 11/26/2008
Judy Tschumper is chasing a dream.
'It's all right here!' she shouted, over the happy racket of a small-town street party in Lakeville on a hot August night.
Around her was a nostalgic vision of Elvis music, flowerpots, dancing children and food stands -- a throwback to what Lakeville and America used to be. As an old man did the twist beside her, she reveled in the restoration of the everyone-knows-you small-town way of life.
Indeed, that is what most of Minnesota yearns for -- even when it doesn't make sense.
The small towns of yesteryear are gone, yet they grip the imaginations of Minnesotans. From Hudson to St. Paul to Edina, cities fret about losing their small-town charm. Arguments rage and millions of dollars are spent in efforts to preserve or build it.
The rise of the automobile unraveled small towns. When customers could drive to bigger stores, they traded their small-town loyalty for convenience and lower prices.
Meanwhile, air-conditioning and TV kept people indoors. Yards and houses became immense. Neighbors became strangers.
Today, small towns -- like small family farms -- have lost their economic reason for being. Yet Archer said they persist, often with government subsidies.
Is the time right for Centerville to head in the same direction?
The results were the lowest on government records dating back to January 1959. Previously, the slowest pace had been in January 1991, when the country was in recession and going through a similar housing correction. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected construction to fall even further to a rate of 780,000 units
Wachovia Corp. economist Adam York forecasts that construction will fall to around 650,000 units by next summer. While that's going to be painful for the nation's homebuilders, it will help stabilize the overall U.S. housing market, he said.
"The broader housing market needs fewer homes," York said in an interview. "We built too many homes in the United States and building less is one way to work off the excess inventory."
Yet our Merry Band of Leaders have vowed to carry on with the Centerville downtown redevelopment...
Photo above is another vacancy in Circle Pines owned by the Beard Group.
9/17/2004
Larson confirms: two council members ask him to resign
Dallas Larson, longtime administrator for the city of Cannon Falls, confirmed this week that two members of the city council have requested his resignation. Larson declined to identify the council members, but said he’d give his decision this Thursday, Sept. 16, during the regular council meeting.
It looks as though there was not much changing of the guard in Centerville this election year. However, the residents did speak loud and clear.
The fact that our Mayor received 777 votes while 1,251 were cast against her speaks volumes. Mary Capra was reelected with only 38% of the vote. We hope that she will remember this as she votes on issues that impact our checkbook.
Of the 3,408 votes cast for the seven council candidates, Mr. Paar received the highest count of 706. Had there not been six others on the ballot, the results may have been quite different. A 21% vote is not a vote of confidence. We hope he keeps this in mind.
Congratulations to our newly elected Council Member Ben Ferhenbacher. He beat Mr. Rawlings by just 20 votes. Hopefully Ben will be able to add a fresh new voice to our City.
