Grim has scheduled the public meeting for
The announcement was made at the regular meeting of the mayor and
Grim said the title of the town hall meeting will be “The Economics of
The city receives roughly
Grim said the city is at a financial crossroads and tax increases must be considered.
“… (W)e are getting to a budget position where our expenses no longer match up with the expectations of the community,” said Grim. “We are at a point where we have to lay on the table all of the options. Before we make the difficult decision here, we want to hear from our citizens.”
City officials are also facing the possible elimination of federal financial support by the Trump administration. President
“We are in a predicament where we can either cut further or increase revenue,” said Grim. “When we say increase revenues, we have to be very clear that we are talking about tax increases. There is no other significant way to increase revenue, particularly in an era of a Trump budget that decreases Community Development Grants for infrastructure improvements that people have come to expect. ARC funds will also be reduced, which is project funding.”
Grim said an increase in property tax would not be small.
“My expectation is that it won't be 1 or 2 percent — we are talking about a significant amount,” said Grim. “That is not (a tax hike) to increase services, that is to maintain what we have today.
“The other option is to reduce expenses. We have to be clear, we are talking about public safety. They (citizens) have to understand it means less policemen and firemen. … It's not an option, as far as I'm concerned. But, we need to hear from citizens. That is the whole topic of the town hall.”
Kauffman said he purchased the home for
He said difficult economic conditions in
“It is painfully clear by looking at all the challenges
He said programs like the
“Community right-sizing and tax-based promoting projects like the one on Maryland Avenue, while painful, are essential to the future sustainablility and marketability of our city,” said Kauffman. “I encourage each of you (council members) to tackle these challenges head on.”
Grim said the members of the
“We encourage everyone to attend and focus on community problems as they deal with economics,” said Grim.
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