HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution - 455 - In Support of State Assumption of Major Share of Education & Welfare Costs - 09/28/1971 VILLAGE OF E DE N PRAIRIE
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO. L�5_5
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF STATE ASSUMPTION
OF THE MAJOR SHARE OF EDUCATION AND WELFARE
COSTS AS A MEANS OF AFFORDING LASTING PROPERTY
TAX RELIEF AND RETAINING THE PROPERTY TAX AS
A MEANS OF SUPPORTING LOCAL SERVICES
41HEREAS, the power to tax and spend directly affects the decision-
making pourer exercised at each level of government
WHEREAS, decision-making power gravitates toward those units of
government which have taxing and spending authority and away from those which
do no 1:
WHEREAS, the Council of the Village of Eden Prairie believes the
combination of property tax limitations and a freeze on state financial aids
to local rani is of government wi 1 1 destroy the present state/local decision-
making balance
WHEREAS, municipal officials have been more conservative in increas-
ing municipal expenditures than any other group of public officials in Minnesota
WHEREAS, the legislative process is already overburdened with local
bills and any reduction of decision-making powers on the local level wi 1 1 increase
the number of bi 1 1 s of a local nature above the 40;; of 6, 000 bills introduced in
the 1971 session, greatly increasing the cost of the legislative session
WHEREAS, use of the Consumer Price Index as an index of inflation in
any tax limitation legislation will have the effect of forcing a continuing
reduction in local services
WHEREAS, a reduction in services does not greatly affect the tax bi 1 1
of citizens, but a reduction is greatly noticeable to citizens
WHEREAS, the Village Council of the. Village of Eden Prairie believes
that whi le ci ti zens wand- property taxes 1 owered they do not want muni ci pal
services reduced
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Village Council of the Village of
Eden ""rairie that the Council :
1 . Believes that there is historic and legal justification in the state assuming
responsibility for support of public education and/or welfare.
2 . Believes that the desire of the legislature to afford substantial and lasting
property tax relief can be best achieved by a state assumption of a major share
of the costs of education and/or welfare.
Resolution No. 455
Page Two
3. Views as essential the preservation of some reasonable balance between
local and state decision-making responsibilities regarding taxing and spending.
4. Believes that a shift in the tax burden should recognize ability of tax-
payers to pay and that there should be a relationship between the sourve of the
tax and services provided.
5. Bel ieves that the Village of Eden Prairie should not be subject to arbitrary
levy limitations.
b. Rejects the use of the Consumer' s Price Index as a means of measuring the
cost of providing local services on the grounds that the CPI measures increases
in the costs of items which are not important elements in municipal budgets and
does not measure salaries and wages which make up more than half of municipal
expendi tunes.
7. Views as essential the replacement by alternative sources of revenue of the
funds now derived from per capita and personal property reimbursement payments
if part of all of these funds should be eliminated as part of a new tax bill .
8. Opposes any freeze of per capita and personal property reirnbursetnent payments.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT,
The Village Clerk is directed to furnish certified copies of this resolution to
I Senator Alf Bergerud and Representative John Keefe, to all members of the House
and Senate Tax Committees, to Governor Anderson, to the Hennepin County League
of Municipalities, and to the League of Minnesota Municipalities.
i
ADOPTED by the Village Council on September 28, 1971
zz� '
David W. Osterhol t, Mayor
ATTEST:
SEAL
Edna M. Ho l mg ren, C l k