FARGO
Most Moorhead City Council members back a 2011 budget strategy that would include a levy increase, but not one large enough to raise property taxes on individual homes.
The consensus was outlined Monday evening by City Manager Michael Redlinger, who gave a budget-planning update to the council based on one-on-one talks he has had with board members.
Redlinger said most council members appear ready to support an increase of $207,305 over the current levy.
The additional revenue would come from growth in the city's tax base due to new construction and would not change taxes on existing homes.
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Redlinger said council members said they would be open to looking at larger levy increases of $307,309, or $407,309.
Such increases would raise taxes on a home valued at $140,300 by $5 and $11, respectively.
Three council members, Redlinger said, expressed support for a levy increase of $507,309, which would raise taxes on a $140,300 home by about $17.
Redlinger said the city is also considering increasing the annual transfer of revenue from Moorhead Public Service to the city by as much as $200,000.
On the spending side, Redlinger said he would like to see greater dollars go to areas of the budget hit hard in recent years: snow and grass removal and street maintenance, including pot-hole repair.
Redlinger is also advocating that money be dedicated for salary raises for supervisory staff as a way to retain talent and avoid the costs of finding and hiring replacement employees.
In recent years, Redlinger said, the pay for supervisory staff has remained frozen, with the exception being the area of public safety, where labor contracts did not allow for a pay freeze.
Giving raises to supervisors would be one way for the city to "save our talent for the future," Redlinger said.
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The council accepted Redlinger's presentation without comment, for the most part.
Mayor Mark Voxland said the budget discussions to come will make for "a very interesting year."
How much the city gives to outside agencies will be discussed at the council's June 21 meeting of the committee of the whole.
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and The Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers
