Coleman's budget: fee hikes but no big cuts
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)Please click onto the COMMENTS for the story.
posted by Bob at Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)Please click onto the COMMENTS for the story.
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34 Comments:
St. Paul mayor calls for more cops, longer library hours in 2009
By Dave Orrick
dorrick@pioneerpress.com
Article Last Updated: 08/13/2008 09:53:06 AM CDT
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)Proclaiming a new era in how St. Paul balances its books, Mayor Chris Coleman Tuesday rolled out a proposed 2009 budget that calls for more police, extended library hours and no major service cuts.
In a development kept hush-hush until Tuesday, he also announced the city had closed a years-old gap in spending, essentially ending the era of starting each fiscal year in a budgetary hole.
Coleman also predicted a typical residential property tax bill would "remain very close to what it was last year."
Yet, the city is increasing spending.
The $6.6 million levy increase — 8 percent higher than this year's — will be felt by the commercial and industrial sectors. It's a nationwide phenomenon taking place as home values fall, but commercial and industrial property values increase, some by double-digit percentages.
And Coleman is proposing other ways of raising money without socking homeowners. For example, his plan calls for a 10 percent hike in building-permit fees and a 5 percent increase in business licensing fees — an idea that drew quick criticism from the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Now is the time to foster small businesses and restaurants who are struggling in this economy," said Chamber President Kristofer Johnson. "A 5 percent tax increase really doesn't help us do that."
Coleman and his aides responded that St. Paul's proposed 2009 fees, on average, still rank below the 2008 fees of Minneapolis and Bloomington.
There are cuts in the budget, such as at the Department of Public Works. Workers who are retiring won't be replaced and vacant positions there will go unfilled. Also, the city's Department of Safety and Inspections faces cuts in specific areas as its role shifts to dealing more with vacant structures and sites in need of help and less with new construction.
And residents can expect to be hit with several rate increases. They include:
Sanitary sewer, up 10 percent.
Storm sewer, up 12.5 percent.
Recycling, up 11 percent.
The proposed 2009 budget likely will be tweaked as it falls into the hands of the City Council, which must approve a budget in the fall. That process begins at 9 a.m. this morning with detailed departmental briefings to the City Council. St. Paul residents can watch those briefings live on local cable TV or StPaul.gov.
City Council President Kathy Lantry praised Coleman's proposed budget, as well as his speech, which was delivered in City Council Chambers. The venue was selected to symbolize the cooperative relationship the body has with the mayor.
Coleman rolled out several initiatives, including:
Adding 14 police officers.
Starting a second "super medic" team within the Fire Department.
Hiring a "bicycle-pedestrian coordinator."
Expanding morning hours at six neighborhood library branches.
Coleman's greatest triumph, however, is decidedly not bricks and mortar. In an underscored part of his speech, he announced the city had achieved "structural balance" in its general fund. That's the filling of the hole.
What that means is that the city budgets for its basic spending, such as salaries, drawing only on reliable revenues, such as property taxes and current levels of state aid. That contrasts with the previous practice of using one-time revenue sources — such as grants or unspent reserves — or borrowing.
"We — like responsible businesses everywhere — pay current costs with current revenues," Coleman said. In the future, Coleman said, one-time chunks of money will be spent on one-time projects, like fixing a swimming pool, not on salaries or annual maintenance.
In May, city accountants had projected a $13.1 million hole. The bulk of filling that hole was accomplished with $6.5 million in local government aid from the state — an increase over past years — and raising the levy. After his speech, Coleman cautioned future tax increases might be needed, they'll be closer to inflation rates, and no longer will the budget process begin with such a large hole to fill.
St. Paul Police Federation leader Dave Titus praised adding the police officers, but noted the union remains at loggerheads with the administration over a new contract. Titus and several officers stood in the back of Council Chambers wearing T-shirts that criticized Coleman as stingy on the topic of officer compensation.
Coleman also used the speech to tout the approaching Republican National Convention Sept. 1-4 in the Xcel Energy Center, emphasizing the city was prepared.
"We've washed the windows and put out the fine china. We are ready for company."
No big cuts? No kidding! 40 million dollar increase over last year while the economy is going to shit and people are losing their homes? This guy should be run out of town on a rail.
Mayor Coleman was on the news advocating for the homeless.
Alex Wendt
East Side Pride
Since mayor Coleman has been in office, property taxes in St. Paul have increased by over 42% over the last three years.
Mayor Coleman's proposed 2009 budget would be about $542 million. This is a $42 million increase over 2008 budget.
To foot the bill for this $42 million increase in new spending, mayor Coleman proposes increases for the following public works services:
- Sanitary sewer, 10 percent.
- Storm sewer, 12.5 percent.
- Right-of-way maintenance, 15 percent downtown, 12 percent elsewhere.
- Recycling, 11 percent.
- Business license fees will increase by 5 percent and permits by 10 percent.
- An 8% increase in property taxes.
This proposed budget plan by mayor Coleman would also put the final nail in the coffin for many St. Paul businesses.
What mayor Coleman should be doing is controlling city spending and cutting property taxes instead of raising property taxes again. This proposed budget plan for St. Paul will only stifle business growth and make St. Paul businesses less competitive than other communities. Mayor Coleman's fiscal policies only promote a negative business climate.
The blame for this mess rests with mayor Christopher Coleman and city council members Kathy Lantry, Lee Helgren and David Thune. Instead of cutting spending like we all have to do with our own budgets during hard times, they have only increased city spending at an alarming rate and then they raised our property taxes by over 15.1% for 2008 alone to pay for their out of control spending.
These same elected officials cry that the governor cut LGA, but these LGA reforms have been in effect since 2001 and the city council did not plan accordingly. This is just poor leadership as mayor Chris Coleman and the city council just spend and spend like there is no tomorrow.
It seems our city council is more concerned with imposing their politically correct agenda, that they do not have time to control their spending habits.
You have to ask yourself one question: Are you better off now than you were three years ago?
The answer to all financial problems is not by raising property taxes, but to control city spending and to grow St. Paul businesses. Have you walked around Downtown lately? It is a ghost town. Boarded up businesses, as far as the eye can see. This is not "More To Life" as our new city motto states. Mayor Coleman's solution is to put fake window fronts in these boarded up businesses during the Republican convention to make it look like our Downtown is thriving.
The time is right to let the hardworking residents of St. Paul keep the money that they work so hard for so they can provide for their families.
The time is right to stop taxing our city businesses to the point that they are unable to compete in the marketplace with cities with a lower tax burden. Many businesses have been forced to close and lay off people.
The time is right to stop the light rail madness and invest this money in flexible green transportation like duel fuel buses. Putting down light rail tracks will only divide St. Paul like I-94 divided and destroyed the Rondo neighborhood back in the 1960s. Just look at Minneapolis and Bloomington and the mess light rail really is. Mayor Coleman's endorsement of light rail will only hurt our city and divide our city once again.
The time is right for St. Paul to take a new direction instead of the tax and spend avenue it has been on for the last three years. The time is right for St. Paul to lead and be competitive with Minneapolis and other cities instead following them.
Sincerely,
John Krenik
When is Harrington's term up?
Coleman is out campaigning for votes using the poor, just makes yeah sick! He does not give a rats ass about poor people. He is part of this problem in city government taking homes from low income people.
Why isn't Coleman at the round table?
How about the rest of the city council, where are they?
Kathy has more guts than all these men. What's up with that?
You people have a responsibility to us!
Raymond Rudd
They don't owe you crap Raymond. These current leaders think the common people are a bunch of back woods hicks that they can do whatever they want with. Change is coming and they're going to be in for one hell of a suprise, as will the rest of the city.
Isn't that nice.Don't all business owners and residents wish they could raise an automatic tax to increase their spending in hard times?I love how all the democrats cry about a recession and how the economy is suffering as they increase spending.
Eric your a know it all,could you tell us what the city spends its 552 million on.Could you break it down?
If St.Paul spends a fortune like Lantry said on taking care of run down properties what does she think 552 mill is?
Eric could you also find out how much of a fortune the city spends on maintaining run down property?
Tim Ciani
More, More, More spending for police to solve all the problems - crisis management rather than strategic management.
I long for the day when the city was not so meanspirited. Then you build a spirit of cooperation that goes far beyond anything the crisis management 'heroes' can do. It also used to be a nice and fun place.
I didnn't realize St.Paul still was an industrial city.
Except for ex-cel, where are the steel plants and other factorys ?
We are lucky to have the Ford plant here for another 2 years.
All the buisness vacancys downtown ?
More cops = more citations = more money.
Keep spending thousands of dollars bulldozing homes.
Raise parking meter fees.
Special assesments.
You name it,its coming.
Jeff Matiatos
Bring back the Faust and Bellmont please !
Lets just be like Vegas Mayor coleman.
Get a casino in St.Paul would really bring in the revenue from everywhere.
All in favor say I !
Tim the City budget for 2008 is on line and 2009 should be up there soon.
DSI in 2008 was about 19 million for its entire budget or 3.2% of the budget. That includes all of the inspectors and zoning staff.
The biggest cost is public works 178 million and then the cops 95 million. Then parks 57 mil.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
A 48 million dollar increase.....right after the state passes the biggest tax increase in history....when the jobless rate in Minnesota is now the hgihest in 17 years. The Mayor signs a law making it impossible to sell a home is it's vacant all the while the city council persues their relentless criminal assault on property owners under the guise of safety. It'll be interesting to see what's left of the city when the next election rolls around.
Lets close the parks Repke. That will wipe out the 48 million increase and give us 9 million to party on.
No, 10:02 but a personal belief of mine is that we (any Minnesota City but Saint Paul at the moment) ought to think about turning over many of our services to higher levels of government. I know there are many who hate the loss of local, direct control, but... why not pass the Parks Department and Libraries up to County Government? Why not share those costs with the suburbs?
Or better still, what would be wrong with consolidating the seven counties in to one or two large counties and getting rid of a lot of redundancies? Ramsey county is the smallest (area) counties in Minnesota and one of the smallest in the USA. Because of that the few that live here pay more for services and those who move only a few miles from the central cities avoid paying for the issues of poverty.
For the counter example, you would have a hard time commuting to work in Phoenix if you live outside of Maricopa County. The entire state that has about the same population as we do and more area has less than a dozen counties and Minnesota has 87.
How much money is spent in multiple government delivery structures of services that would be saved if we had 60 less counties in Minnesota?
Just a thought...
Again!
Just My Opinion Not Those Of My Employers Past Present Or Future
Chuck Repke
Chuck, your 10:30 post surprises me. The good news about smaller gov't units is that they are able to be closer to their constituents and one would think, make better decisions.
Do you think the State Legislature better represents your ideals or St. Paul City council?
Your right about overhead and the rest, but bigger is not all rosey.
Bill Cullen.
Bill, I use to be concerned about that but I am getting to the point where I will take my chances.
What the GOP has been able to do is to totally divest itself of any interest or concern about the central cities. They are flat out not the problem of anyone who lives across the city limits from them. I want the folks in Hopkins to have a stake in the future of Minneapolis and I want the people who live in North Oaks to be concerned about Saint Paul.
If the GOP is going to wipe out LGA and the central cities are going to continue to subsidize out state road projects and development projects making the poorest communities net tax payers not receivers, then we ought to be willing to give up all of that wonderful control to spread the concern about poverty over a larger area.
I can't believe that you think it is a good idea that there are 87 welfare systems in Minnesota and 87 county administrators offices and finance offices and corrections directors, and county attorneys and public health directors, and county parks administrators, and court services administrators...
That from a good fiscal conservative GOP'er like you?
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
The sheep came out of its clothing folks.Chuck pretty much said it the way the city is doing.Since the suburbs don't attract nor support the inner city poor Chuck and the city take away affordable housing through tough code and force them to the suburbs.Isn't it right Chuck that you'd like the burbs to take a fair share?
Chuck it wasn't the GOP that has lured the poor from other states with their liberal programs that don't work.
It isn't like the GOP hijacked land and kicked the poor out.
They started as small suburbs,kept their spending down and have spent money where it was needed.Now you and the libs come along with your failed policy in the inner city and screem that its the GOP's fault.You guys are incontrol and have caused your own misery.
Chuck Coleman didn't have to raise the budget one cent but he did-Who's fault is that?
Tim Ciani
Tim buy a clue.
For more than fifty years the cities in this nation have been subsidizing suburban development.
Who pays for the roads out to the suburbs...? the people that already exist in the cities.
Who pays for the water, sewer and electric lines that go into the new suburban developments...? The people that are already on the sewer, water and electrical services in the cities.
Now that the cities need redevelopment our suburban neighbors who have had their entire communities subsidized by their urban neighbors have no interest in sharing in those efforts. So, I think it might be wise to just take a pass on some of the services that urban cities provide and push them up to county and state levels. Spread the blessings.
Hell, when I chaired the Ramsey Co. Corrections advisory board I told several county commissioners that if the state won't pay a fair percentage for the costs of the corrections system, that we should just give the job back to the state. Let them take over probation and court services like it was 40 years ago if they won't come up with the monies to pay for good services.
The GOP continues to encourage local control, but won't spread the income tax monies collected by the state back to the cities. Do you think that half of the rural counties have ever raised enough money to pay for their roads for a year? You pay for them out of your income tax dollars, while Ramsey County Workhouse has to spend money on thugs that should be the state's problem.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Chuck, like his buddy Dave Thune want total control over all of Minnesota so they can have their socialist state. Hence his idea of combining the seven county metro area into one. More tax money and more control for the DFL Party.
The first thing individuals like Thune and Repke do is they make it impossible for businesses to do business in St. Paul, thus making the people dependent on government. Coleman’s plan to raise fees. I thought the DFL Party did not believe in fees Repke, as they gave Pawlenty such a hard time on the issue.
Two, they pass laws that are for your protection (smoking ban in bars, new rules for code enforcement). These are all designed so the government to have total control of the people and not let the free market decide, as these anointed ones know what is better for you and I.
Three, the erosion of our basic freedoms leads to the restriction of major freedoms. Example, Jay Bennanav forced Wal-Mart (Ward 4, Midway) to sign a document stating that they would not sell hunting firearms in return for a certificate of occupancy. His reasoning there were too many guns was on the street. False, as Kmart or Wal-Mart did not sell handguns. This was just a sound bite by Bennanav, as rifles such as shotguns and .22s were for hunting. What was Bennanav really afraid of? The people raising up against an oppressive government (Progressive DFL controlled city).
The controlling tactic of the Progressive DFL Party in St. Paul is to take away power from the people and to form their socialist government. By taking away the people's ability to fight back and I don't mean using firearms, Repke, Thune and Lantry impose their socialist agenda on the majority when they were elected by the minority of citizens who are registered to vote. Repke was not elected, but he sure acts like he was.
This fake energy crisis is a product of the environmental folks from the Progressive DFL who don’t want us to use our resources for our betterment. The Chinese are drilling into our reserves off Cuba because our Congress will not let American companies drill in these reserves.
Take Colorado’s shale reserve. Billions of barrels of oil to be harvested. A new method of extracting this oil only costs three barrels of water to be pumped in to the ground to get out one barrel of oil. Not bad considering that it takes over 20 barrels of water to make one barrel of ethanol from corn. The Democratic delegation from Colorado, backed by the environmental lobby pushed this. Their explanation was it would use too much water. When they were confronted with the facts about ethanol production and the larger use of water to make ethanol, they didn’t have an answer.
It is all about control. The Progressive DFL wants control so they can form their socialist state. They are making progress right here in Minneapolis and St. Paul with their code restrictions and law for your protection.
Good Luck!
Has anyone here ever read up on or done research on the urban sprawl? It is happening not only here but all over the country, it has a lot to do with population increases and thats a whole issue of its own, but the urban sprawl has been happening for quite some time and will continue. The urban sprawl is due to people wanting to have the suburban life of a huge home, yard in a country like setting, better schools and etc... yet close to the inner city. As population grows so will need for homes especially the affordable homes. As population increases so will crime and the costs to maintain the city, the urban sprawl is a huge cost to the government when it comes to funds spent creating new infrastructure for the suburb developments, shopping malls and etc as the communities expand.
"I know there are many who hate the loss of local, direct control, but... why not pass the Parks Department and Libraries up to County Government? Why not share those costs with the suburbs?"
HAHAHAHAHAAaaaaaaa!!
Fuck you Repke. You assholes were begging for tax increases, well you got 'em, douchbag!
Enjoy...I certainly am!!
31% in three years, that's got to be a record, even for Democrats!
Ahahahahahahahaa!
And new taxes on what is left of the city's businesses!!
Ahahahahahahaahaaaa!
But you get a new bicycle Tzar!!
Ahahahahahahahahahahahaahaaaaa!
I'm dyin' here! HAHAHAHAaaa!!
Best post of the day goes to Swiftee at 9:34 PM.
The sad thing here folks is that people like Repke are democrats and run inner cities.
Chuck I ask is it ever the democrats fault?I bet you guys are so perfect you could shit a sand castle.
Ok Chuck I'll grant you one thing you democrats have created many great operating suburbs with big yards and low crime.You have also created a stronghold for the Republican party with the Rural areas and suburbs
Chuck without the liberal socialist cities you wouldn't have a party.You DFL'ers can have the inner cities,just leave our suburbs the fuck alone.
Keep up the tax increases and pretty water fountins ya di
llrod!
One last thing before I go-who the hell do you think is paying for the light rail?Yeah you got it the state and the rest of the country.Will they use it?Yeah as much as you use your peter when Thune isn't around.
Suburban Stud
Ryan
As you see the Upside Down Welfare System is well in play.
Swiftee and the RICO boys are just fine with those who live in the cities subsidizing their suburban lifestyle and then also think that the cities shouldn't expect their absentee properties to be up kept.
As to who is going to pay for lite rail... the people that live in the metro boob. Who paid for 394? WE DID! Who pays for extra lanes to make it easier to live in the burbs? WE DO! Who paid for 169? WE DID! All of the new roads in Savage? Maple Grove? Cottage Gorve? Newport? WE DID!
The state sucks out all of the monies from the state income and corporate tax from the central cities and spews it all over the suburbs and then bitches like crazy when we expect them to pony up cash to deal with crumbling infrastructure in the central cities.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Buck up and get used to it Repke, it's only going to get worse.
Chuck said....
As to who is going to pay for lite rail... the people that live in the metro boob. Who paid for 394? WE DID! Who pays for extra lanes to make it easier to live in the burbs? WE DO! Who paid for 169? WE DID! All of the new roads in Savage? Maple Grove? Cottage Gorve? Newport? WE DID!
Ciani said.....
And the people in the suburbs didn't help a bit.
Chuck where in the hell do you think the people in the burbs used to live...In the city ya dork.They paid their fair share whenthey were there and wanted out from assholes like you.
And another thing the federal government pays for roads also.FYI
Do you ever use the roads you speak of.I'm sure you have Chuckie boy.How many people in the burbs are going to use this 1800's technology called a train?ZIP!
Tim Ciani
From Fantasy City St. Paul:
As Tattoo Thune says to his boss, Mayor Coleman:
"Hey Boss, The train, the train is coming !"
Now if the train were going through Chuck's neighborhood like I35E went through his neighborhood in the 1970s, Chuck would be first in line to file a lawsuit. This light rail is going to go right down the middle of University and split our city like I94 did to the Rondo Neighborhood, except this is not in a white neighborhood this time. The elitists like Repke and Coleman don't have the guts to stand up for the minorities in the University Avenue neighborhood.
Chuck why don't you tell the folks here how you stopped the I35E project with law suits. Why don't you tell the people here how Chris Coleman's father, Nick stopped the I35E connection. The I35E section of the I35 interstate project that was not completed from Texas to Minnesota was the section Repke and Coleman Company stopped through lawsuits, because it was going through your white neighborhood. It seems you don't care if light rail destroys another minority neighborhood because it does not effect your white neighborhood.
9:20 that sure does make me old doesn't it?
My desire to stop 35E from ripping Saint Paul in half and any freeway that destroys central cities is about the negetive impact that has on the city and how that encourages movement to the suburbs. I knew that almost thirty years ago when I signed on to the RIP 35E law suit and put my house on the line to be a part of the suit.
How about that the State in response to the suit got an order that we citizens suing the state had to put our homes up so that if the state won the case they could take our homes as damages for the delay in construction? All of us that signed the law suit put our land up because we believed in the case that much.
So, you are right there was ultimately a settlement and we allowed the road to be completed as a parkway. But, that was after the legislature had turned on us and it truly was just a group of a few home owners against the state.
Why that neighborhood? I lived there I didn't live anywhere else and at the time I was just a 26 year old with my first house.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
So Chuck, are you going to stick up for the poor along University Avenue?
I know the answer, it is NO. You and your white buddies from RIP I35 don't give a rip about the minorities who are going to be effected by this light rail. It is just another Rondo again, except your buddies are all for it.
Hwy 55, has cost us tax payer more and has ruined the area around Minnehaha Park.
Hiawatha Ave is what development and progress Look like, Lite Rail.
That is the most dull looking area in the Twin City's, do we want University Ave looking like that.
Driving along that stretch of Hwy 55 or roadway portion of the Hiawatha Avenue project, the beauty is gone.
How much will it cost and our city always says they don't have money, and taxes go up on everything in the city including pay hicks for the city council and the mayor.
Does someone have a interest in fast travel to and from the New Base Ball Stadium in the City of Minneapolis, who would make sure that someone get a kick back from unions and suppliers of goods and materials needed.
Someone said once the couple words, -- "THINK AOUT IT"
DNC builds secret jail for their convention in Denver
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=97741&catid=188
Repke and Thune could be so lucky.
Looks like Denver knows how to deal with protesters, looks like Thune and his buddies on the city council going to get their wish, and the government are going to have to rebuild St. Paul.
I wonder if Macalester College that is hosting all the demonstraters on their campus will be held partly responsible for the damage their protesters cause?
2:34 who in the heck do you think I am? Is every cause everywhere on the planet my cause? I lived on Palace and Victoria and 35E had a direct impact on the house I owned, that is why I was willing to invest a good deal of time and money fighting 35E.
I don't live on University and I doubt that I will ever ride the lght rail, it isn't my fight. But, from what I have seen there is a very good group of neighbors organizing in the area to make the line as neighborhood friendly as possible.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Wow; I leave for a few days and this board lights up. Sorry to miss all the fun.
Just one question.. Chuck where is the data that the inner cities subsidize the burbs? I cannot find anything relevant right now, but I remember a similar discussion on e-democracy where data was presented that showed the inner cities were about break-even on payments to the state. Rural communities were huge winners. Burbs were the big losers.
I just cannot find the thread right now -- maybe you can point me to your data?
Bill Cullen.
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