Minnesota legislators dealt cities a tough hand during the last session when they cut 25 percent of the state shared revenues and imposed severe restrictions on our ability to raise additional revenues. As your elected leaders, we expected our city – and each of the state’s 853 cities – to be part of the solution to the state’s $4.2 billion deficit. Raising taxes is never a popular decision, but sometimes it is a responsible option. What if your household unexpectedly lost 25 percent of its income? You’d probably cut back on your spending – buy less expensive jeans for the kids as they head back to school, or stay at home on the weekend rather than go on a fishing trip. You’d probably dip into your savings account, if you had one, draining your 401 (k) or money you set aside for a down payment on a newer, more reliable car. You’d also look for ways to earn more money, especially if you were already on a lean budget. It’s no different for the city of Kimball. We’ve had to make very difficult decisions, including: o Charging fees to use governmentally-funded buildings and increasing fees for usage of the park shelter. o Minor cuts to the park and recreation fund. o Reducing the city’s capital outlay by about $10,000. o Cutting city staff overtime, reducing the extra meeting for city council and staff. By now all taxpayers should have received their 2004 tax statement and noticed that their local city tax should have been reduced. The city staff and council worked hard to deal with the estimated $24,000 budget cuts placed on the city. We are working to better manage the tax dollars and see that we cut unnecessary spending. Some additional items that allowed us to cut the taxes is a larger tax base with the addition of the new development, along with local city policing contracts. There is a lot at stake for our city this budgeting session. We are your neighbors and co-workers, and, just like you, we want what is best for the present and the future of our city. With this in mind, I urge you to come to a city council meeting to learn more bout the issues and decisions we face. We strongly encourage you to let us know your thoughts. We are striving to respond to cuts in state aids in a balanced manner. As your elected representatives, we look forward to your input and take our charge of city stewardship very seriously. Mayor Karla Davis and the Kimball City Council
