Council supports levy hike for public safety project

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City officials plan a small property tax levy increase next year that would be dedicated to the Woodbury Public Safety Building renovation.

Woodbury City Council members on Wednesday offered early support for the 2011 budget proposal, which includes a small bump – 0.9 percent -- in general fund spending but no levy increase for basic city operations.

A 2 percent levy increase – generating an additional roughly $551,000 – is proposed to begin paying for renovation and expansion of the Public Safety Building at Radio Drive and Valley Creek Road. That project is expected to begin this fall.

The 2 percent levy hike would cost an additional $13 on the city portion of property taxes on a home valued at $283,100, city staff said.

“This is about the lowest we’ve had in quite a long time,” City Administrator Clint Gridley said of the proposed levy increase.

The budget proposal includes $26.2 million in spending for basic city operations, up from this year’s $25.97 million.

Overall city spending, including special fees, debt payments, water and sewer costs and other charges, is estimated at $60.7 million.

The budget plan City Council members supported would use $192,860 in city reserves to balance the 2011 budget.

An alternative plan would have balanced the budget with $192,860 in spending cuts, including no longer offering city maps to the public, trimming the budget for road salt used in the winter and eliminating a program to notify residents by phone of emergencies.

A third option, which also was rejected, would have included a new field user fee for Bielenberg Sports Center.

The City Council is scheduled to set the proposed levy and budget at its Sept. 8 meeting. The proposed levy can be lowered, but not raised, when final budget and levy votes are cast Dec. 8.

See the upcoming print edition of the Woodbury Bulletin for more on the city's budget plan.

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