Today, after months of deliberation and community engagement, the Saint Paul City Council voted to adopt the city’s $781.5 million budget for 2023. This budget reflects our community's interest in improving neighborhood safety and preventing gun violence, ensuring equitable and responsible uses of city resources, and expanding and preserving affordable housing, among others. In addition, it lowers the levy from the original proposal from 15.34% to 14.65% and includes over $1 million in savings for property taxpayers.
This year's property tax levy incorporates a court-mandated shift of the $13.3 million Street Maintenance Program that was previously billed as a separate fee. In the past, all property owners, including churches, nonprofits, and colleges, received an annual bill for street maintenance. Per the order, the bill for sweeping, street lighting, and seal coating is now part of the property tax levy. The court-ordered shift in program financing is driving 7.6% of the overall levy increase. Due to increased market value, individual property taxes were also impacted by steep real estate demand for properties in Saint Paul and Ramsey County.
Over the past year, the City Council has worked diligently to evaluate the city budget, looking for new innovations to reduce spending while still providing high-quality services to everyone in Saint Paul. The City Council worked through the Mayor’s proposal and identified key changes to be responsive to community feedback.
Highlights of the budget the Council approved today include:
• Property tax levy reduction of $1,185,000 from the initial proposed levy amount (reducing the increase from a proposal of 15.34% down to 14.65%)
° This reduction was paid for in part through a reduction in services of $455,000, including:
◙ Reduction of City Council Community Organizations Partnership Program of $105,000
◙ Reduction of Office of Neighborhood Safety services of $350,000, leaving a remaining ONS budget of $150,000 in addition to the $4 million American Rescue Plan allotment
• Library safety initiative: $320,000
• City Council Reparations Commission staff position, funded utilizing a vacant position in City Council: Neutral
• Free swimming sessions for income-qualified learners: $10,000
• Anti-theft street lighting initiatives: $355,991
• Vegetation management and increased park maintenance service: $469,684
• Bike and pedestrian improvement projects: $480,000
The City Council will begin the work of setting its 2024 budget priorities in the winter and spring of 2023. The Council encourages all Saint Paul residents to connect with their Councilmember throughout the year to ask questions and to share input and ideas.
More details on the proposed and adopted city budgets for all years can be found at: https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/financial-services/saint-pauls-budget.
Original source can be found here.
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