Please be fiscally responsible with the city funds as the council decides and votes on what is "nice to have" and what is "need to have". Do we "need" a licensed horticulturist and more city engineers? We have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on consultant fees on work that our city engineering department could have potentially completed. I do not understand why we would need to hire more people for work that has been/will be outsourced.
Please remember that the 11% proposed levy is a high amount. Taxpayers in Northfield are already dealing with inflated property values (=higher property taxes), high inflation on food, fuel and heating, and the franchise fee that was recently implemented. The people in town that work are surely not seeing double digit raises at their jobs to offset all these increasing costs. Perhaps there would be more city dollars available and taxes to be collected if the Tax Increment Financing was throttled back a bit?

I looked at the proposed 2022 budget. I lack the expertise to split hairs with those decisions however looking at a full time horticulturist seems excessive. What I do have is a thrifty sense of spending. My Rice Cty. TOTAL property is up 5.1% but what is remarkable about figure is that the school district which comprises 42% is up by a bare minimum. What is elevated is the city portion up by 14%, which comprises 34% of the total. So, the lesson seems to be how much and where our tax dollars are spent. Per the recent 2020 census, Northfield has 14.8% of it’s population as senior citizens. And that probably would be fixed income. When I hear our Mayor and council talk about attracting tourism to Northfield, that’s fine. But remember, tourists do NOT pay property taxes. Your residents do. I challenge this council to keep the city levy under 10% in the interest of fiscal responsibility, community health and respect for the job you have been elected demonstrate.

I reported on these tax levy proposals for a decade. I was shocked to see this year's prelim at 15%. Knowing you won't go that far, I suspect you'll be closer to 11%. I strongly urge you to stay below double digits. My estimated 2022 Rice Co. Property taxes are up 19%, the price of food, heating and gasoline (to go to our jobs) has gone up and continues to rise while that 401K is taking a hit. I know you have plans and I love this town but, please, don't raise our taxes into double digits, NOT this year. Oh and I also have that assessment that went up due to the aesthetics on 3rd street AND I have a franchise fee too. I know I'll get that back but life would be easier if I didn't have to ask for my money back at the end of the year. I appreciate the efforts put in by you, the Councilors. If you're doing the position justice, you have a LOT of work to do. As for that great rise in property value, if you're not selling it only means you pay more tax.