COUNCIL PREPARES TO MAINTAIN
'02 TAX RATE AND ADOPT 2003 BUDGET
Council held a budget workshop at 5 p.m. on Monday evening, December 2nd, to review and finalize facets of the 2003 budget for the City of Victoria.  Newly elected councilmembers Mary Thun and Terry Bishop also attended the workshop.  Mayor Mary Meuwissen was absent.
As presented by Finance Director Jylan Johnson, the budget would have meant an increase in tax rate from 2002 to 2003.  None of the councilmembers were in favor of raising the tax rate.
Stated Councilmember Richard Tieden, "I think it would be wise to keep the tax rate the same as it was last year.  It's what we've been telling the people we'd do."  At the same time he recog-nized that as the county assessor raises valuations on city homes, city property taxes on individual properties will increase, regardless of the city's ability to maintain the tax rate.
The finance director pointed out that the preliminary 2003 budget as she proposed would have to be cut by $7,200 to remain at the tax rate of 2002.  Council unanimously approved that move to keep the tax rate stable.
The city's actual budget, noting total revenue, expenditures, and levy with definite numbers, must be approved prior to January 1st, 2003.  It appears the total budget will increase by approximate 6.5%.  It appears the levy will increase by approximately 21%.
Several details of the budget and levy proposed by 2003 have been discussed and relayed in recent past editions of the Gazette.

LITTLE ACTION SEEN AT
TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING
Two residents came before the Vic-toria City Council on Monday night, December 2nd, to speak on city property taxes.  One of the resdients was directed to attend the annual spring meeting at which property valuations are the issue at hand. 
The other resident asked why city expenditures were increasing by 21% and he didn't appreciate the large increase in the city portion of his property taxes.  This resident was informed that if the city portion of his property taxes goes up in 2003, it is because the valuation on his property, as valued by the Carver County Assessor, will have gone up.  Stated Mayor-Elect Jerry Bohn, "The average house increased 10% in Carver County."
City Finance Director explained that, as proposed for 2003, city spending will increase by approximately 6% (from about $2.3 million to $2.5 million); the city levy will increase by approximately 20% (with 13% due to an increase in the general fund and 7% due to increased debt service); and the tax rate will remain at approximately 45.56% (no increase over that of 2002).
It was also explained that as the city experiences growth, it also experiences in-creased expenditures for roads and muni-cipal water, fire, general maintenance, equipment, and parks and rec needs.
Jerry Bohn also spoke to the school portion of the property tax statement.  'The school tax is already more than the city tax, and this is after they've put school costs on the state bill.  Carver County is the highest taxed county in the state, and the school district is among the highest."
As for the lack of significant state aid for the City of Victoria, said Jerry, "It's based on the wealth of a community, and Victoria's is quite high, so losing state aid is not going to affect us."

RECEIVING GAS TAX MONEY
MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 2004
The City of Victoria has been chomping at the bit to receive its own gas tax money from the State of Minnesota each year, because it is expected to be around $250,000.  That's a nice chunk of money to help rebuild city roads.  Cur-rently the city's portion of its share of the gas tax money goes to Carver County, and there has been complaint that the city doesn't see much of its benefit.
In any case, a city can receive its own gas dollars when it reaches a population of 5,000 -- which it is expected to reach in 2003.  City Planner Mark Kaltsas pointed out December 2nd, however, that the pop-ulation has to be certified by a special census. 
"It costs $75,000 to do a special cen-sus," he stated, "which amounts to between $10 and $15 a head.  It's the only number they'll take."  It was also stated that if the population falls shy of 5,000, the city eats the costs.