Facebook Email Message 320-763-6678 704 Broadway HOW DO I… LIVE/VISIT BUSINESS YOUR GOVERNMENT In the Know column: Here’s how city of Alexandria creates a budget October 6, 2021 / Sara Stadtherr By Bobbie Osterberg, Alexandria Mayor Today, in less than 600 words, readers will get a peek at the process of creating the city budget for 2022. The budget is the single most important policy document the council adopts. SPOILER ALERT: Math and finance-talk ahead! It starts with the Budget Committee. The city administrator, one council member and I meet weekly with department heads and stakeholders from April through mid- August. The purpose of the meetings is to gather data. City services offered, those being proposed and the level-of-service are top of mind at this time. The data is used to create the financial forecast for the upcoming year and capital improvement needs for the upcoming five years. The committee then meets with the full City Council to make a recommendation and receive feedback. State law requires the budget be balanced and a preliminary budget and maximum tax levy agreed upon by Sept. 30. The truth-in-taxation public hearing for the final budget will be held on Monday, Dec. 13. Questions most asked are: Where does the money come from? City revenues come from three main categories. Property tax, sales and fees generated by City services, and inter-governmental sources. Property tax represents only 59% of city revenue. For the year 2022, Local Government Aid (LGA) from the State of Minnesota will represent 29%. The balance, 11%, comes from fees collected for licenses, permits, rental fees from the Runestone Community Center, municipal liquor store sales and other inter-governmental sources. LGA allocations can fluctuate each year and are determined during the legislative session. The allocation is meant for support of critical community services. Each year the Budget Committee faces the questions: “Will LGA be approved?” “If yes, what will the allocation be?” Alexandria will, again, use its 2022 ($1.6 million) allocation to support the critical services of the police and fire departments. How does Alexandria’s property tax rate compare with similar Greater Minnesota cities? The 2021 city tax on a home with taxable value of $210,000 is $820.68. The 2021 city tax on a home with taxable value of $210,000 averaged $1,313.44 in 22 comparable Greater Minnesota cities. This moderate tax rate is due in part to the 20.7% growth in the City’s tax base since 2018. How is $1 in tax dollars spent? General fund (police, fire, parks, streets, administration, etc. – $0.61. Debt service on previous building and infrastructure (roads, waterlines) projects – $0.17. Alexandria Lake Area Sewer District – $0.08. by Sara Stadtherr Sara is the Communications Coordinator for the city of Alexandria. She is committed to the residents of Alexandria. Feel free to reach out to her for any reason, she would be happy to hear from you. To contact Sara, please email sstadtherr@alexandriamn.city or call 320-759-3607. Posted in Homepage Stay In Touch With The City Sign up for the city newsletter to receive updates on the latest policies and news. Name * Required First Last Email * Required Connect With The City Additional Information Upcoming Events Joint Meeting of the Board of Public Utilities (ALP) and the City Council Monday, November 29, 2021 @ 5:30pm - 6:30 pm CST ALASD Board Meeting Wednesday, December 8, 2021 @ 5:30pm - 6:30 pm CST City Council Meeting Monday, December 13, 2021 @ 7:00pm - 8:30 pm CST View All Events Stay up to date with the latest policy reviews CITY EVENTS GET TO KNOW THE CITY Meet the city council City departments About Alexandria WHO ARE YOU? I am a visitor I am a resident I am a business owner I am looking for a job HOW DO I… Contact the city Attend a city meeting Register a rental Get a building permit POPULAR LINKS City code, ordinances, etc. Agendas & minutes City parks & trails Local governmental links © 2021 City Of Alexandria, MN | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Attributions | Accessibility Statement Happily Grown By CYBERsprout Message · 320-763-6678 · 704 Broadway, Alexandria, MN 56308 Employee Login Topic: City Council meeting Time: Dec 13, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87538169649?pwd=SzN6QzR6TGd2THNqdHBuT2pldVVhdz09 Meeting ID: 875 3816 9649 Passcode: 122235 City Council Zoom Meeting link: