Is the referendum a result of previous City mismanagement of funds?

No.  The City’s budget has been well-managed for years, within the constraints provided by State law.  We knew that, eventually, additional funding would be necessary because of those constraints, but the need has been accelerated in recent years as the impact of inflation on all our costs has been greater than in the past. 

 

The City is facing operational cost increases just like the average resident, with fuel, utilities, and insurance increasing year after year.  In the past decade, inflation has increased 34.99% over the last decade (approximately 3.39% annually) while the City’s operation levy has increased $166,031 over the same time period.  Over that same time frame, the City’s share of property taxes on a $200,000 home has only gone up 4.17%, well below the rate of inflation.