ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Rochester City Manager Alison Zelms spoke to the City Council today about the proposed tax increase for 2025.
The study session included the $10.5 million adjustment, up 10.35% from last year. The adjustment will bring the city’s 2025 budget total to $689.4 million.
The city’s largest revenue comes from public service contracts, which exceeded last year’s levies by $2.78 million. These contracts account for more than 26% of this year’s $10.5 million adjustment.
Normand Wahl, a member of the City Council for District 1, expressed his concerns about the proposed large increase during the meeting.
“It will be difficult for me to view decision packages positively, although I know that some of them have been a great help to the departments. So that’s all I can say about this meeting. Today I was very disturbed. That’s how I started and that’s how I will end,” Wahl said.
One group hoping for additional funding – the City of Rochester Public Library – expressed concerns about the proposal to cut library grants and pay library security staff salaries from the general tax fund.
“One of my concerns is the issue of grants. We can get them and then we have to keep them in the budget. And that’s what worries me when we accept grants,” Palmer said.
Library City members took the stand to remind the council of the importance of the new security positions.
“We have seen a significant increase in problematic behavior since we reopened after the pandemic, and that has taken up a lot of time from library staff,” said the library’s public administrator.
The council meeting was held as a study session and the final decision on the budget will be made in early September.
More information about this town meeting, future meetings and agendas can be found here.
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