Let's address some information which the City has sent to the local paper regarding our tax rank within Minnesota. In this prepared information sheet they state :
For City taxes,
Centerville ranks 16 among metro cities over 2000 population.
For this statistic, they cite The Citizens league
2007 Taxes by Level of Government on Average Value Homes in 117 Metropolitan CommunitiesAlthough somewhat correct, once everything is factored in, Centerville actually ranked 4th for 2007. When you look at
Comparing Property Taxes on Average Value Homes in 113 Metropolitan Communities, 2006-2007Centerville ranked 1st in 2006 and 3rd in 2007.Click the links to read the information for yourself and see which conclusion you draw.Here is the letter Council sent to the Press...Communication and Accurate Information:
The City of Centerville is fiscally sound; your City drinking water is safe and in a recent survey, your police department scored some of the highest customer satisfaction rating scores within the State of Minnesota. Communication and accurate information is very important not only in our personal lives, but also in knowing how your City is managed. I would like to share these facts:
Budget: For City taxes, Centerville ranks 16 among metro cities over 2000 population(*1). Our budget expenses for 2007 are about $2.2 million allocated as follows: 45% Public Safety, 24% General Government, 13% Public Works, 8% General Fund Debit Service, 5% Capital Outlay, 4% Culture & Recreational, 1% Advertising & Promotion.
Downtown Redevelopment: In 2005 the City applied for and was award a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for redevelopment planning for the downtown area. A consultant was hired to work with a group of Committee Members, business owners, Council Members and City Staff on a design plan. Many public input and hearings were held and a final design was approved January 11, 2006. Subsequently the City solicited a development partner and began applying for grant funds to assist with the project costs. The City has been awarded a total of $2,144,000 in grant money over the past three years towards the redevelopment of our downtown. We are working with the Beard Group to implement the Downtown Redevelopment Plan. Since our plan calls for a mixed-use redevelopment, the housing downturn has slowed our progress. We remain optimistic that our plan is good and given reasonable time, our vision can be achieved.
Road Projects: In 2003 the City approved the completion of a Pavement Management Study of our streets. Its purpose was to better manage our road projects and associated costs. In 2004 the first phase of that project was completed and the City is currently in the planning stage for phase two scheduled for 2009.
Public Works: In 2004 the Council established a Capital Revenue Fund to finance a future Public Works building. By 2007 that fund balance was $415,000. Last year the City was approached by the owner of Centerville Redi-Mix inquiring if the City would be interested in purchasing his unfinished building as a new Public Works site. The timing of this purchase came sooner than anticipated, but this was a costeffective option that would meet the City’s needs well into the future. The funds from the Capital Revenue and Enterprise Funds allowed the $1.4 million dollar purchase. An internal loan was made that will be repaid upon the sale of the 20th Avenue site, which was appraised at a commercial market value of $435,000. The City will be hosting an open house of both the old site and the new site in the near future.
Hidden Spring Park: In 1998 the City was one of two communities within the State of Minnesota selected to participate in the Minnesota Design Team Project. Town meetings were held and a vision for our community arose by the final day of the five-day visit. One of the goals within the final plan was to obtain and develop lakeshore parkland within our community. Since that time the City has been putting “Park Dedication Fees” (paid by developers instead of a parkland dedication) away towards the purchase of lake property. These “Park Dedication Fees” can only be spent on Capital park projects. The parkland purchase was made with $385,000 Park Dedication Fees and an award of a grant from the DNR totaling $150,000.
Closing:
One of the best things any Council can do for the future of a community is to have an effective Staff in place. As a Council, we greatly appreciate our Staff’s dedication to the community and the Council. Our current Staff has been very successful in applying for and being awarded over $2,000,000 in grant dollars over the past three years. This is an historic amount of money for our City to be awarded. Receipt of these funds would not have been possible without the professionalism and dedication of our Staff.
*1 Citizens League 2007 Property Tax Review
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"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. "
