According to the Crookston Daily Times, the City of Crookston may have few options left when it comes to accounting for LGA cuts. Having made reductions across various departments and delayed capital improvements, the city may need to reduce staff, including two police officer positions. From the report:
“No one wanted to cut two police officers and save $115,000, but with talk like we’re hearing tonight, that’s probably moving up the ladder,” said committee chair Marlys Mjoen, from ward two…Capital expenditures have been minimal at best as a moratorium has been in place for more than a year. But Ward Four Council Member Wayne Melbye said holding the line on capital improvements will only help the bottom line so much. “Sooner or later it’s going to be positions,” he said.
Even though the city’s tax base can only generate $15,000 per one percent increase in its levy, the city may also pursue moderate property tax increases to offset state aid loses and protect essential services. City Manager Aaron Parrish emphasizes that all options need to be on the table in order to confront the city’s budget challenges:
“We likely will need some level of property tax increase, but we’ll likely do something very manageable,” Parrish explained. “At this point, with the pressures on our budget and inflation, it’s something we have to seriously evaluate.”
Cities across the state will face similar financial challenges if state lawmakers once again target LGA for deep cuts. If you value affordable quality-of-life services in your community, contact your legislators today and tell them to protect the economic viability of your city by protecting LGA from further cuts.