Council Update

There are two items I wish to discuss regarding Council work.

The first is the meeting schedule for the next two weeks.

There will be two special meetings next week. The first will be Monday the 24th at 6pm. This work session is to discuss GMHF concern that Isanti has not been working on a "model" community of affordable housing. I have stated many times and still believe that Isanti has a full stock of "affordable housing". This is the current older small housing stock as well as the numerous condos for sale. There are also many newer homes under $175,000 on the market.

Isanti needs needs to diversify into all types of housing including medium and higher priced to maintain an appropriate tax base to pay for our City services. According to the background information report provided during the Comprehensive Planning process that shows roughly 50% of Isanti's housing is affordable.

The cost that has increased the most in this market is land. Lots have gone from $20,000 in the recent past to the $100,000 range, in a few short years. The norm of an average lot being in the $40,000 to $60,000. The City can not be in the game of subsidizing high land prices that will interfere with normal market forces. This will only help sustain a real estate bubble in our area.

The second Council Work session will begin the budgeting process on Wednesday July 26th at 6pm. The City Budget is the plan for our future. We set priorities and give direction to staff for the next year of city operation.

The 2006 budget passed, in 2005 was a document of excess and poor choices. This can easily be summarized in two facts. The choice of the majority of the Council, Mayor Apitz, Council Members Larson and Johnson to create the $54,000 Administrative Assistant position and to explode the budget by over 30%. These three also deniened expanding the City Police force by one officer stating in July of 2006.

2005 saw dramatic crime increases. It had been 3 years since a new police position had been added. Three years that included a doubling in the City's Population. In 2005 alone there was a 42% increase in theft, 70% increase in assault and 24% increase in vandalism and narcotics. This did not move these three Council members to improve Isanti's Police force. I hope they will rethink their poor decisions of 2005 and work to create a budget that will lead us safely into 2007.

I am proposing a 7% to 10% decrease in City Property Taxes. This can be easily accomplished. The Council exploded spending by over 30% in 2006. The City also collected $350,000 in "extra" non-budgeted money. This is currently being spent. $350,000 in excess taxes is 10% of the budget. We must reduce the flow of taxes into City Hall and spend the money collected more efficiently. If this Council collects the money they will spend it. This is why I am asking for a 20% reduction in the city Sewer rates at our August 2nd council meeting. The City is currently collecting over 24% more in fees than is needed to pay for sewer operations.

To learn more about my Tax and Fee plan go to http://georgewimmer.com/Tax.html

The budgeting work sessions are all open to the public and I hope you will attend.