At 7 p.m. on May 2, 2011, all citizens are invited and encouraged to attend the Public Hearing on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2012 (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012). At this meeting, the public can speak out about the services that they want and what their spending priorities are, and the City Councilors will debate for one final time on what taxes for the coming year will be.

On March 21, 2011, City Administrator Richard Michaud presented his Proposed Budget to the Council. In that initial presentation, he recommended that the Council to approve a draw on the city's fund balance and an increase in the city's tax rate in order to maintain the current levels of services provided.

The city has not increased its' tax rate for funding the services it provides once in the past four years. The tax rate changes that taxpayers have experienced in that time are a result of the increases in spending for Education as approved by voters, and the decreases in the Homestead Exemption implemented by the state.

Since that first budget presentation, the Council and city staff have met several times weekly to consider the implications of the Proposed Budget and what the alternatives are. There are no easy answers. Revenues that the city collects other than from property taxes are down, such as from motor vehicle excise. Furthermore, the state has cut the funding it provides back to municipalities for revenue sharing from sales tax receipts over the last two years. In the meantime, basic costs to provide services continue to rise, such as for fuel. This has been the most difficult budget process the city as a whole has faced for several years.

Information on the initial budget presentation is available at the city's website. Please attend the meeting on May 2nd or contact the City Council or City Administrator to express your point of view. Contact information by all means also appears on the website, or can be obtained by calling Kate Kern at 282-4191. We welcome your input!