Greetings-
I am acutely aware of the challenges experienced by many in our community due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and am working hard to make sure the City of Carver’s budget is lean, while best serving our community’s needs. I am proud of the work done by both City staff and City Council on the 2021 budget to come up with a plan that addresses the needs of our City, while keeping in mind the struggles many of us have faced in 2020.
Last month I mentioned we were well into the process of determining the details of our 2021 budget. Now that we’ve set out preliminary levy (this is ceiling, or the not to exceed amount) I’d like to share some additional details.
At the Sept. 21 City Council meeting we set the preliminary levy at $3,220,448 which is a 6% increase over the 2020 levy. Because of Carver’s growth (an increase in our tax capacity by 15.5%) our tax rate will decrease from 49.45% to an estimated 45.22%… and that means the City of Carver’s portion of your property taxes will likely go down for most property owners!
Although City property taxes are anticipated to decrease for most property owners, several significant investments are included in the preliminary 2021 Budget. Some of these investments include a proposed 66% increase to street maintenance funding, which will be used to conduct future mill and overlay projects throughout the community. In addition, the preliminary 2021 Budget allocates $25,000 toward the replacement of the Fire Department’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units. The Department SCBA’s need to be replaced in 2026, which is estimated to cost $180,000. The allocation of $25,000 in 2021 will allow this significant cost to be spread out over multiple years, as opposed to facing a large budget expenditure in 2026.
If you’re interested in participating in the budget process, the next steps are:
- October/November – Residents will receive their preliminary property tax statements in the mail. This document will include information on your home’s valuation increase and your proposed tax bill, based off of the preliminary levy.
- December 7 – The Truth in Taxation public hearing will take place during the City Council meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Residents are invited to comment on the proposed budget and their property taxes.
- December 21 – City Council will consider adoption of the 2021 budget and property tax levy during the City Council meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
If you’d like to check out the preliminary draft 2021 budget, you can find it at CityOfCarver.com in the packet from our Sept. 21 City Council Meeting.
If you have thoughts or comments on the 2021 budget, or anything else, I’d love to hear from you!
Mayor Courtney Johnson
Cell: 612-702-7703
Facebook: CarverMayorCourtney