Reform Isanti
Whether you plan to live in Isanti the rest of your life or just a few years, we must plan now to control how growth will affect our property values, taxes, and City fees. Isanti needs a leader with a plan and ability to implement it.
Isanti faces specific challenges:
Increasing Crime
High Taxes and Fees
Lack of City planning
Apathetic City Government
I have laid out a progressive agenda for Isanti. My agenda centers around three guiding principles:
Citizen Safety
Economic Reform
Responsible City Government
We have an opportunity and responsibility to reform Isanti. In 2001 when I moved to Isanti the City’s per capita debt was $400. Today it is $2500 per person. The city’s population increased by 100% yet our debt has increased by over 500% in the same time period. This will limit Isanti’s ability to do important public projects.
Our current Mayor voted against my 12% property tax decrease in order to continue high levels of unnecessary spending. Isanti's spending has exploded by over 40% in the last two years alone.
It has been stated by Council Member Johnson that the apparent reason he and the Mayor along with Council Member Larson voted to increase taxes two out of the last three years is that Local Government Aid (LGA) is down. Either he does not understand or is porposely not telling the truth. Isanti's LGA has increased by almost 100% in the last few years. Here is the breakdown:
2004 $311,664
2005 $434,633
2006 $546,860
2007 $603,536
2005 $434,633
2006 $546,860
2007 $603,536
There is roughly a 51% per person increase in the same time period using the state demographer's population numbers.
The Mayor failed to support my efforts in the last year to bring financial planning, capital improvement planning and maintanaince cost tracking to City Hall.
Crime has skyrocketed, go to http://www.georgewimmer.com/Police%20Report.html ,to learn more.
Isanti is going in the wrong direction. We must complete the Development Impact List, Residential Handbook, City Ordinance Reform, Long Range Financial Planning and establish protection for unique Isanti neighborhoods.
This November 7th you will have a clear choice between progressive reform or business as usual.
Now is the time to make a choice for the future of Isanti. I ask for your support in my efforts to reform Isanti.
Together we must preserve Isanti’s Traditions while planning for the future.
1 comment:
Reform Isanti has been a joke for the last 6 years. When I moved here 7 years ago I thought I was moving somewhere that was different. but to my surprise it is the same as everywhere else. My biggest complaint is the city ordiances. Why have them when they do not follow them? For instance, my neighbor was allowed to place a shed in his front yard, and believe me it is an eye sore. After several years of complaining it is still there. I placed a fence in order to block the view. I had the city inspectors out that clearly stated it was illegal and needed to be moved or taken down, but he managed to get it approved by city council to keep it. This was done without even asking the adjacent neighbor. I would move if my children didn't love it here. As soon as they are grown we are out of here.
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