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Police station referendum probable this fall |
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By MaryHelen Swanson
It isn’t with great eagerness, but it is with a certain consensus, that the North Branch City Council seems fairly sure they will be approving a fall referendum on the construction of a new police station.
That was the conclusion of a segment of a special work session May 30.
“We have a need and we know we’re going to build,” said Mayor Gloria Karsky.
Still, as the councilors took turns giving their opinion on a referendum, Karsky said if it is done, even if the voters say yes, the city needs a plan on how it will be paid for.
The council had invited Dist. 138 Superintendent Deb Henton to this work session looking for feedback on the idea of a city referendum and how it would relate to any referendum scheduled by the school district.
Henton thanked the council for inviting her and spoke about the difficult financial situation in the school district.
Looking forward, Henton said it doesn’t look good for more funding from the state.
She noted that the school district is going into 2009 knowing it’s going to have a deficit and told the councilors that earlier this year the school board decided to go with an operating levy referendum next year.
But she said the district hasn’t determined how much it is going to ask for yet.
Henton said having a school referendum and city referendum in the same year wouldn’t be good for the residents. In a letter to the city administrator, Henton said a city referendum this year for the police station could even have an adverse affect on the district’s chance to pass a levy in 2009.
Mayor Karsky said it would have to be this year for the city or else wait until 2010.
If a fall 2008 referendum passed, it wouldn’t impact taxes until 2010, the mayor noted.
Henton said all she could tell the council was that the district is suffering from cuts.
Henton noted that the state legislature is dividing communities by forcing school districts to go out for operating levies.
She went on to explain the reconfiguration of programs and actions the district has taken to address the $2.9 million deficit. “How do you cut any further?” she asked.
The councilors listened intently, and in the end, it was decided that they would probably make a formal decision on a referendum at the May 27 meeting.
Newly appointed councilor, Rodney Lofquist, who is filling a temporary seat on the council, asked to be brought up to speed on the issue.
Councilor Theresa Furman finds herself torn on the referendum issue, she does not favor including the garage at a half million dollars, in the package. She is still torn between yes and no as far as making a decision, she said.
As noted earlier, the mayor would like a plan in place for how to finance the new police station prior to the referendum.
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