WILLMAR -- The Finance Committee is recommending the City Council approve a smaller increase in the city property tax levy than the increase that was proposed by Mayor Les Heitke in his 2011 budget.
The committee is recommending the city property tax levy be increased by 3.5 percent instead of the proposed 6.9 percent increase. The council will consider the recommendation during the 7 p.m. meeting on Monday in the chambers at the Municipal Utilities Building, 700 Litchfield Ave. S.W.
Heitke had proposed increasing the levy by $256,059 from $3,668,705 in 2010 to $3,924,764 in 2011. But the committee at its Nov. 22 meeting cut the increase to $128,029, which would bring the proposed levy up to $3,796,734.
If the levy cut is approved, the 2011 proposed budget will be reduced from $25,694,742 as proposed by Heitke to $25,566,712.
The council will consider the 2011 levy and budget during the Truth in Taxation hearing at 7:02 p.m. The council is required to certify the levy to the Kandiyohi County auditor's office by the end of December. The council will take comments from the public during the open forum, and will received reports from the Finance Committee, the Community Development Committee and the Public Works Committee.
