2024 Preliminary Annual Budget

The City Council reviewed the proposed 2024 city budget at a workshop meeting at 4 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Public Safety facility's education and training conference rooms at 2100 Radio Drive. At the workshop, the Council discussed city services and funding levels for 2024, as well as a variety of issues that impact the 2024 property tax levy.

The preliminary property tax levy for truth-in-taxation purposes was adopted at the Sept. 27 City Council meeting.

Recently at the Nov. 15 City Council workshop, Council gave direction to move forward with the adopted preliminary property tax levy. Also, expenditures and revenue revisions were presented for several funds based on current estimates for project costs and services plus other reclassifications and adjustments. 

Budget data presented within the budget tabs below is reflective of the adoption of the 2024 preliminary property tax and budget revisions from the Nov. 15 workshop meeting and will be different than the information prepared in the 2024 Proposed Annual City Budget document. 

Next Steps

A truth-in-taxation public meeting scheduled for the Dec. 13 City Council meeting at 7 p.m. The City Council also will adopt the property tax levy and budget for 2024 at the same Dec. 13 meeting. 

Documents

More Information

The full proposed budget document can be viewed in person at City Hall (8301 Valley Creek Road) and the R.H. Stafford (Washington County) Library, 8595 Central Park Place. For more information, call the Finance Division at 651-714-3507 or send an email.

  1. Overview
  2. Property Tax Levy
  3. General Fund
  4. Expenditures - All Budgeted Funds
  5. Levy and Taxes

As part of the 2024 budget process, annual rate adjustments are considered to appropriately maintain funding levels for city services such as: emergency medical services (EMS), water and sewer utility, storm water utility, street lighting utility, and our city-run ice / field house arena and golf course. Since these public services are not funded by tax dollars, except for EMS which is partially funded by the tax levy, they are supported by rates and fees. Several rate increase considerations are included with the proposed 2024 budget and were presented to Council at the workshop meeting. 

The most significant rate consideration relates to increasing the water and sewer utility rates. 

The water rates are proposed to change as follows: 

2024 Proposed Water Rate Changes

A $1.35 per quarter city sanitary sewer flat rate increase is also proposed. The proposed increases are needed to fund the replacement and maintenance of water and sewer infrastructure based on the proposed capital improvement plan. 

The wastewater treatment cost pass-thru from the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services is proposed to increase $1.75 per quarter and $0.23 per 1,000 gallons over 8,000 gallons.

Irrigation rates are proposed to increase $0.48 per 1,000 gallons. Incremental irrigation rate increases have been implemented to support the city's water conservation educational and incentive programs. This rate increase is a proposed continuation of those efforts.

The quarterly storm water utility charges are also proposed to increase $1.55 per quarter to support the funding of storm water pond maintenance programs and replacement of storm water infrastructure. 

The Street Lighting Utility Fund provides residential street lighting in the majority of the city. The operating budget accounts for the charges paid to Xcel Energy and then allocated to residents as part of the quarterly residential utility bill. Due to the impact from the current interim rate increase from Xcel Energy and the anticipated electric rate case settlement, a $0.60 per quarter rate increase is proposed for the single-family home street lighting utility rate. The last increase for residential street lighting was implemented in 2010. 

 A four percent rate increase is proposed for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Personnel costs, operational cost and mandatory discounts from Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs factor into the proposed rate increase.

These potential impacts were discussed in detail at the workshop meeting and any increases will be presented for approval at the Council meeting on Dec. 13 with the adoption of the 2024 Fee Ordinance.