Council Press Coverage

Isanti City Council News Paper Covered of last meeting with tax cut and joint signing

http://www.presspubs.com/isanti/news/article_359bfbc2-2275-11e1-be29-0019bb2963f4.html

County Board Elections Matter

The City of Isanti cuts taxes 11% yet the County continues to increase taxes... We need fiscal leadership at the County" Elections matter and all 5 County Board seats are up for reelection... We need to take our fiscal policy success to the County next year....

Saving Money by Absorbing Clerk Duties in City Administrator Position

Isanti saved $32,000 by replacing our Clerk with assistant clerk and paying our Administrator $7000 more to take on statutory clerk duties... Council Member Larson and Lundeen objected to this at last nights Council meeting. If we did not pay our Administrator to do the Clerk duties we would have had to hire another position. 


It is easy to score political points by opposing what appears to be an expense but it is really a savings of $32,000 because our previous clerk cost the City $89,000 in salary and benefits... we replaced this with an assistant clerk/hr position costing us $50,000 salary and benefits.... take away the $7,000 for the legally required statutory duties of a clerk that were absorbed by the City Administrator and you get to our total savings of $32,000. If we did not take these actions we would have lost money...


I found it incredulous that those that have wasted taxpayers money so frivolously in the past would make such an argument. Leadership entails educating the public not simply bending to uninformed opinion....

The State Raises Business Taxes

Our State Republican Senate and House along with DFL Governor passed changes in property tax law that suppressed the value of owner occupied homes to lower their tax burden but SHIFTED these taxes to businesses ... If you did not get that .. they raised taxes on businesses in hypocritical way leaving local government entities having to explain a law we had nothing to do with.... We cut taxes 11% in Isanti and yet some homes and most businesses are paying more in taxes due to this nonsense.

Maybe this is why for the first time I have been Mayor neither our State Representative or State Senator has come to an Isanti City Council Meeting.... If you are going to vote to raise our businesses taxes at least you could come explain why....

More Homestead Tax Fiasco Fallout

Example of MN's secret tax on business/industrial property passed by a Rep Legislature and signed by a DFL Governor http://www.presspubs.com/isanti/news/article_25f24528-1c67-11e1-81e5-001871e3ce6c.

The Homestead tax credit ending not only hurts homeowners but also shifts cost to business property... just terrible

Winter 2011 Isantian Article

When I last wrote my Mayor’s Letter for the Fall Isantian, I had shared the many accomplishments we have been able to achieve and how we were progressing into the next stage of Isanti’s future. Since then we have experienced a sudden 22% reduction in our City’s overall property tax value. This added to recent years has brought us to a 37% reduction. Going through the raw data I believe we are on track to see a 50% total reduction in City taxable value by 2014 since the highest valued year of 2009. This is a seismic shift in City finances due in large part to two major factors – economic pressures on the housing market and the State’s elimination of the Homestead Tax Credit.

The first reason is fairly clear, the bursting of the housing bubble, foreclosure issue and high unemployment have all led to the rapid reduction in property values. The second reason deserves more of an explanation as this change has now finally become a reality as each of us has received our property tax statements. In an effort by the State of Minnesota to balance its own budget they have used shifts in school funding, reduced local government aid significantly and eliminated the homestead tax credit. The state’s financial gimmicks have not saved any money nor has it reduced exploding state spending by double digits. What it has done is shift significant cost to local government.

The Homestead Credit was a way the State gave homeowners a reduced property tax bill without hurting local government and the revenue it relies upon to pay for services. The amount of the Homestead Credit given to homeowners was a reduction paid to local government but the State reimbursed local governments for this credit so no revenue was lost. The recent change gives homeowners a reduction in taxable property value but does not reimburse local governments for the lost revenue. This leaves a $138,000 plus hole in our City budget that must be filled. School districts, counties and cities are all hurt by this change. This is a shift of over $260,000,000 from State responsibility to local levels of government. This recent change Is especially bad since the State is on a fiscal year end of June and counties and cities are on a year end of December 31^st. This change comes in the middle of our fiscal year. On a side note … Legislature, please sync all of our fiscal years so we are all working under the same calendar.

This brings us to our recent county tax statements showing dramatic reductions in taxable value. This new lower taxable value is the State’s way of trying to lower property taxes when they know local governments already hit by lowering values will still need to bring in at least what they had already planned to, thus eliminating any true savings but effectively shifting blame to counties, schools and cities.

In Isanti, we are not increasing the amount of taxes we had planned but instead for 2012, we will be spending less than we did in 2006. By continuing to find cost savings while still creating a positive environment for our existing businesses to grow and attracting new businesses, we will be able to ride through this latest crisis. I felt it necessary to give some explanation to the recent State budget gimmick as it does affect local governments even though my long range budget plan is able to absorb these cost shifts. These are very challenging times that we must work through together and many tough choices will still need to be made in the years to come. The recent 5 year plan I proposed to the City Council will guide us through these difficult decisions and keep moving us forward to a brighter tomorrow.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments please contact me at 763-442-8749 or email me at George@georgewimmer.com . You may also follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/mayorwimmer Facebook at facebook.com/GeorgeAWimmer or my blog at georgewimmer.blogspot.com

Channel 5 KSTP Isanti Crossing Guard Story

Here is the Link to the 5/23 intersection crossing guard story... If the School District had bothered to ask us at the City for help we would have helped publicized the job opening... We receive hundreds of applications a year for jobs and $12.12 it would get filled.... What a shame the District does partner with Isanti to solve these problems...

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S2379516.shtml?cat=1

When Country Calls

My Grandfather wrote these words to my Grandmother in 1917 as America was preparing to fight in World War One. His words worked quite well. They had 14 children, 11 boys and 3 girls. We must honor our soldiers and their families each and every day.

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A poem written by Ted Wimmer to Agnes

When Country Calls

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I feel so very lonesome tonight

I don’t know what to do

I feel so blue and downhearted right

So I’ll write a few lines to you.

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I was dreaming of the days gone by

And the hours I spent with you

My eyes grew dim, and with a sigh

I said your love must be true.

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There’s a sort of pain that hurts my heart

When I think of the hour drawing nigh

The sad day when we two must part

When I’ll kiss you and say good bye.

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Remember me and do not fear

To you, I’ll always be true

I’ll always think of you my dear

And I hope to return to you.

*

Rivers, mountains and the ocean may lie

Between your soldier and you

His love for you will never die

If you’ll promise you’ll be true.

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Your soldier begs of you to say

At the rising of the sun

A prayer for him, that this very day

May not be his last one.

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And when this war to an end has come

And the troops God spared return

The world again its peace has won

Your soldier’s love for you will burn.

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And if the giver of all good

Hears the prayers of your spotless heart

At least I hope and pray he would

That I return never more to part.

Info on Foley MN Replacing Police with Security Guards

Interesting article... Will be following this to see how it works

http://www.startribune.com/local/132970423.html

Taxable Market Values

This graph shows just how bad it has gotten as our overall city tax base has started a rapid decline. We have lost over $137,000,000 or 37% of our tax base from the all time high.

This being said I think the real question needs to be asked is why did the County continue to increase everyone's property values in 2007, 2008 and 2009 when it was clear the real estate market was collapsing then? This gave a false impression of City wealth and made it very difficult every time I said things are very tough and we need to cut cost and keep our long term spending in line.

As you follow the bell curve year to year on each side of the high point matching very closely and can be used as a harbinger of what is yet to come....

This cold reality is being faced by all communities in regions like ours that grew so rapidly....

A Quick Note on Property Values

County told us property values would drop 2% and we budgeted accordingly .. now they tells us 22%... I have a lot of late nights coming.. I will not raise your taxes as most other cities, counties and school districts will do. I believe if your property value goes down so should your taxes... I will be redoing the budget over the next 2 weeks to cover the hundreds of thousands of dollars we will be losing... I will then present these items to the City Council for approval.... I have a lot of work ahead of me so please be patient if I do not respond as quickly to request... This is why I developed a strong fund balance and long range budget plan that handles just such problems....

A Quick County vs City Comparison

I have been spending some time looking at the spending increases at our County. I have stripped out Human services and roads budgets considering a great deal of those expenditures are mandated or controlled at the state and federal level and the County Board is simply a pass through for these activities. I concentrated on the general fund which is what the County Board has the most control over. Since 2006 the County Board has had an 11% increase in spending. That number does not sound too bad except for the fact that since becoming the Mayor of Isanti I have decreased spending by 12% and have increased the service level of our City.

There is a lot of talk about reforming government and reducing the tax burden and government spending. While those at the County, State and Federal level talk about slowing the increase in spending we do it.

We have driven down net debt per capita debt by 276% , nearly doubled our fund reserves, cut property taxes by 30% and brought in dozens of new businesses. We need to take these lessons to the next level of government and show them how to preserve the money in our wallets and not preserve their salaries and expense accounts.

Government is a service provider and must understand its own cost structure and bring the systemic changes needed at the employee cost level or true spending reductions will never be made. I hope the County gets a handle on these issues so they do not keep coming back year after year with tax increases as they are doing once again this year. A few percent each year may not seem like a lot but it adds up as each couple percent stacks on top of the last tax increase. 

Reform and more efficient government is not that hard.... you  just need to have the strength to fight for whats important and be willing to see it through to the end. 

Isanti's Redbirds Win State Championship

http://isanticountynews.com/2011/09/05/redbirds-win-state-championship-in-another-classic/

Fall 2011 Isantian Article

We have had quite an eventful summer and are looking forward to another amazing fall in Isanti. We have a number of new businesses being built; and others are opening their doors in familiar locations. The east TH 65 construction projects are going up, which will house new facilities.  The Urbans’ have reopened Hardware Hank on County Road 5 NE and Dale Matson of Isanti Bicycle Repair has opened his shop on Main Street. There are many more new businesses opening, and many existing businesses that are expanding like Granger Machine and Pat’s Small Engines which have been growing strongly. We continue to have involved business owners like Dori Johnson of Charisma Boutique on County Road 5 and Mark Rojas of Bear Books on Main Street; whose owners are not only running great businesses, but are working hard to make Isanti an even better place to live, work and play. My space limits me but there are so many dedicated individuals and businesses that make Isanti an amazing place.

I want to thank the Sponsors of the 2011 Mayor’s Great Yard Award for their support and dedication to help positively impact our Community - Melissa Hutchens DDS is our 1^st place sponsor, Startac Construction is our 2^nd place sponsor and KJD Signs sponsors 3^rd place. 

The 2012 budget has been coming together over the past few months and we will once again not be raising taxes or cutting any services. We have continued to trim the City budget and will be spending less in 2012 than we did in 2006, my first year as Mayor. When our County, State and Federal levels of government have continued to spend more and more, we have been able to rethink how government should function. We have made real cost cuts throughout City operations to ensure the most efficient level of service possible. We reduced systemic costs by negotiating Union contracts that have helped to share the cost of healthcare more evenly with our City employees while maintaining proper staffing levels. The City general fund balance as a percentage of our yearly budget is higher than at any point in modern history which allows us to weather the difficult economic storm we are facing. We should be proud of the work we have done.

We are completing the final stage of our planned replacement of old City infrastructure that had in years past been failing and causing significant damage to public and private property. We have in recent years replaced gravel roads with paved roads, built our water treatment facility to rid us of cancer causing radium, replaced decaying sewer lines and added new underground power lines; all to better serve our community. The replacement of failing and inadequate infrastructure is not the most exciting topic but it provides the strong foundation and security for future generations to thrive.

My goal as Mayor has been to get Isanti’s fiscal house in order, grow our business community, diversify our tax base and make sure all the proper infrastructure is in place to serve our current and future needs. The next Mayor will have a strong position to work from in taking our community into an even brighter future.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact me at George@georgewimmer.com or call/text 763-442-8749. You may also read my news and notes at www.georgewimmer.blogspot.com, follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/MayorWimmer or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GeorgeAWimmer . 

Two New Businesses on Main St

Remember the story of the Spanish prisoner. For many years he was confined in a dungeon...One day it occurred to him to push the door of his cell. It was open; and it had never been locked.
- Winston Churchill

"Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays,  instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion."  Edmund Burke

Isanti Chamber Call to Action - Comedy or Tragedy

Ok I have a copy of the Isanti Chambers "Call to Action".... the Chamber has picked to mobilize because The Ambassador program feels slighted... I had asked the Isanti Ambassadors to attend the retirement of long term City Clerk... They had asked me to fill out a form to request their presence... I said seriously... and I forgot the whole thing... a side note is I was the only one to even think of inviting the Ambassadors to the event in the first place... it never even occurred to anyone else... Apparently I hurt their feelings because the Isanti Area Chamber of Commerce has issued a "Call to Action" against me.... they are mobilizing their members to attend the City Council meeting...

The Chamber did not issue a call to action when water and sewer rates were increased which actually affects their businesses... they did call to action with ideas to help the business community... they do not attend Council or Economic Development meetings... but for a chance to complain about me there is a "Call to Action" ... I do not know whether to laugh or cry...

Lowe's Cambridge

Lowe's Cambridge MN closed theirs doors.... 95 employees lost their jobs in Cambridge ... its sad when you call the number and hear them say they are closed and direct you to Coon Rapids...

Isanti Amphitheatre

We are moving forward with our Amphitheater in Isanti. It will be located in Blue Bird Park and will include a curved bandshell with electricity and changing rooms. We intend this area to be used several times a week for plays, concerts and movies in the park. I am interested to here from those that would like to perform using our facility. Please contact me at 763-442-8749 or george@georgewimmer.com