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was her opinion that the budget should be worked on in order to reduce the budget increases. She felt the <br />budget was not proactive and cuts would have to be made. She feared that homeowners would move out of the <br />community due to the City's rising expenditures. <br />Councilmember Strub commented the Council voted 4-1 to support the City Forester and the Community <br />Center renovations. He stated he would like to have a better understanding of the fleet/non-fleet process. He <br />indicated he would like to have a better understanding of this process, but supported it in theory. <br />Councilmember Burg agreed that the percentage was too high. She wanted to see the percentage increase no <br />more than 3%. She was interested in reviewing the fleet/non-fleet expenditures. She requested staff provide <br />the Council with further information on this topic. <br />Mayor Jacobsen stated the proposed increase differed from those that have been reviewed in the past six years. <br />He discussed the percentage of property taxes that were paid by local businesses. He reported the Council <br />consensus at this time was for the budget increase amount to be reduced by staff. <br />Councilmember Burg appreciated staff's thorough presentation. <br />Mayor Jacobsen and Councilmember Jacobsen agreed. <br />Councilmember Bauman questioned if staff had any further information on the City becoming a license <br />bureau. Davitt reported she has investigated this further, but there was some concern that the New Brighton <br />City Hall was too close to an adjacent licensing location. <br />Councilmember Jacobsen asked if the City's debt load could be reduced. Davitt stated she was looking at <br />restructuring the remaining $14 million TIF bond. <br />Councilmember Bauman encouraged the Council to consider the City's growing expenditures and explained <br />this could not continue to be the course, or the City's tax rates would grow out of alignment with the residents' <br />ability to remain homeowners. <br />Councilmember Burg discussed the difference between rising home values, increasing property taxes and how <br />each impacted homeowners. <br />Councilmember Bauman disapproved of the market value home credit system. <br />Mayor Jacobsen thanked staff for their presentation on the budget and looked forward to discussing this topic <br />again at a future worksession meeting. <br />Worksession adjourned at 6:15 pm <br />Respectfully submitted, <br />Terri Haarstad <br />City Clerk <br />