Taxes going up to support road improvements

The Albert Lea City Council unanimously approved a 3.3 percent increase in the property tax levy Monday night.

The estimated increase on a home valued at $100,000 is almost $13, according to Albert Lea City Manager Chad Adams. The average Albert Lea home has a taxable market value of $71,000 and will face an approximately $9 increase.

The council approved a $15.1 million 2016 general fund budget, an approximately 1.5 percent increase from the city’s $14.9 million 2015 general fund budget.

The levy was approved at $6.15 million. The 2015 levy is $5.96 million.

Adams said the increase is needed for the city to make debt payments on infrastructure improvements that took place in 2015 and previous years. He said the city is seeing other cost savings that allow the city to add a full-time street department employee and police officer.

Major capital projects included in the 2016 budget include the reconstruction of Park Avenue. Reconstruction will include the water and sewer mains and the road itself. Road construction is planned for Lake Chapeau Drive and Lakeview Boulevard from Hatch Bridge to Martin Road and Edgewater Drive. Neighborhood street improvement projects are also planned in the 5th and 6th wards.

Adams expects less of a travel impact from construction in 2016.

The city is seeing some new tax-base growth for 2016, but not equivalent to the tax levy increase.

He said in September the increase is typical and for the last several years the tax levy increases have ranged from 0 to 3 percent. Most of the increases have been for street infrastructure improvements.

Presentations and work sessions in relation with the budget were held in October and November. The preliminary increase in the property tax levy was approved in September.

During a public forum held before the vote, Albert Lea resident Roger Swanson expressed concern over the city’s spending habits.

“We want to compete with Iowa,” Swanson said. “Every time we raise our taxes we become less competitive. I’d like to see Albert Lea become more competitive.”

Albert Lea resident Dustin Trail also expressed apprehension at the city’s budget.

Trail questioned why the city is looking at a new fire station and city garage and said that if the city continues to spend, taxes will continue to rise.

“We cannot continue to spend money,” Trail said. “It needs to stop.”

Councilman Al “Minnow” Brooks expressed concern over debt.

“I still think we need to be mindful of the debt we are creating,” Brooks said.

Councilman Larry Baker said the council needs to try to balance the need not to increase taxes and to take care of its infrastructure.

Albert Lea resident Craig Havener was less than impressed with Albert Lea’s fiscal policy.

“I don’t see any efforts in how to reduce costs or induce savings for the community,” Havener said. “They just always increase the prices, and it doesn’t look like there is any effort to reduce the prices.”