By Anne Thom

The 2007 proposed levy and budget prompted some fireworks at the Stacy City Council meeting Sept. 12, after Councilman Mel Aslakson asked the council to look at cuts to public safety and professional services, including the city attorney and the city engineer.

The proposed levy is $392,073, which is a 30 percent increase over 2006.

The final levy and budget will be approved at the end of this year.

Aslakson first proposed that general engineering for roads should come out of the money budgeted for streets. There is currently nothing budgeted under streets for engineering. The engineering budget line had already been reduced in council worksessions by $10,000.

Councilman John Daher said he would be against cutting here saying in reference to the councilís previous discussion about infrastructure that took place that evening, ìThere are issues coming up. If they donít go away they get much more expensive.î

Daher wondered why the city would want to cut engineering when roads are needed or cut public safety when police calls have now decreased because more hours were invested for a deputy last year.

Daher, a First Responder said, ìItís the cityís responsibility to provide public safety.î

Aslakson agreed, citing both public health and public safety. Councilor Barbara Otterson said that Aslakson needed to give his opinion and commit on those issues as Aslakson declined an answer regarding the hours budgeted for a Sheriffís Deputy. Aslakson said that he is thinking about it.

Councilman John Walz spoke on the proposed budget asking Aslakson, ìAre you just shifting money or are you reducing?î

Mayor Michael Carlson reminded the council that a budget is fluid and there will be line items that will decrease this year and others that will increase.

Otterson said she thought the budget was ìbare bonesî and more importantly that the city doesnít have to spend the entire budget, but if it isnít budgeted for and there is a problem the money will not be there.

Daher thought the addition of 30 new households would support the levy and Aslakson, an accountant, quickly pointed out that would be a roughly 34 percent increase in city taxes.

Daher asked Aslakson where they could cut more and Otterson asked Aslakson if he had looked through the budget.

At the end of the meeting however, the proposed levy at a 30 percent increase over last year did pass.