Council will approve Farmington's 2013 budget, levy Monday

Talk about it

Farmington city administrator David McKnight didn’t step foot into city hall over the past Thanksgiving weekend, and that’s saying a lot, because last year he spent most of his time there ironing out details of the 2012 proposed budget and levy.

This year, the 2013 proposed budget and levy is wrapped up and ready for council approval, which should happen at the Dec. 3 regular city council meeting.

As it will be presented Monday, the city’s 2013 proposed general fund tax levy is $8,718,968, a 1.79 percent increase over the approved 2012 general fund tax levy. That is down from the preliminary tax levy of $8,808,865 approved by the Farmington City Council in September.

The 2013 proposed budget includes a first-year payment on a new fire engine for the Farmington Fire Department. Other highlights, McKnight said, are that all anticipated personnel costs are now accounted for in the budget – which had not been the case in the past – and that revenues were reduced to reflect the active, receipts, which also had an impact on the budget.

The proposed budget also includes the elimination of two full-time positions, and two part-time positions on the city staff, McKnight added.

As proposed, Farmington’s nonhomestead properties and commercial/industrial properties will take the largest hit when it comes to an increase on property taxes, with an increase of anywhere from $2 to $600, depending on the valuation of those properties. Residential homeowners will likely notice little increase, as the levy that will be presented includes an increase of up to $8 for Farmington’s highest-valued homes but a decrease of as much as $100 for lower-valued homes.

Residents might still see a more significant increase over those projections when they look at their proposed property tax statements that came out from Dakota County this week. That’s because the numbers used to calculate the proposed tax numbers are based off of the preliminary levy numbers that were approved by the council in September. Since Monday’s numbers are significantly lower, McKnight said, the numbers on those statements from the county are higher than what residents will likely pay next year.

All of the confusion will be ironed out for anyone who cares to come to Monday’s council meeting, or watch it on cable or the Internet. Prior to approving the final budget and levy, council members will hear a brief presentation by McKnight, and residents are invited to sit in. Minnesota law used to require cities to hold what was called a truth in taxation hearing, McKnight said, but that law is no longer in effect.

“But we are still required to take comments from residents, so that’s what we’re going to do,” McKnight said. “People can come in and share their thoughts with us.”

Tags: local government, news, farmington