Rush City levy not increased

By MaryHelen Swanson
In special session last week, the Rush City Council agreed to keep the 2003 levy the same as it was for 2002, running just over $321,000.
Some department budgets went up and some down, noted Rush City Administrator Daniel Hoffman as they worked on the budget.
The city is expecting local government aid to increase some and there will be other additional revenues which will help keep the budget in balance.
The biggest concern, Hoffman said, is what will happen at the 2003 legislature. For the past couple of years the state has left local government aid alone, but no one knows what will happen next year, he said.
The city also helps balance it budget each year with a $20,000 transfer from the liquor store fund to the general fund.
The total general operational budget for next year will be $1,215,590.
No new road projects are scheduled for 2003, but the city will be purchasing a new fire truck at a cost of $420,000. Hoffman noted that the city has been saving for quite a while to pay for the new truck.
The budgets and levy are, at this time, preliminary. The budget can be changed up to final adoption at the end of December, but it cannot be increased.
Unless Rush City residents see an increase in their property valuation, the city portion of their 2003 tax statement should not go up.
Hoffman noted that the levy was significantly increase last year, but since 1993, had only increased a couple of percentages each year.
The full council was on hand for the budget work last Thursday. Hoffman said they were pleased they could keep the levy at the same level.

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