Item 1 2022 Budget, Tax Levy and Capital Improvement Plan ReviewCity of Otsego│13400 90th Street NE, Otsego, MN 55330│Tel. (763) 441‐4414 Fax (763) 441‐9163
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Adam Flaherty, City Administrator & Finance Director
DATE: September 13, 2021
SUBJECT: Budget Meeting #7
On Monday, Council and staff will resume review of the draft 2022 General Fund budget. This
meeting is the fourth and final of the special meetings scheduled for budget and tax levy review.
Please note that staff is seeking Council input during these budget review meetings in order to
effectively and efficiently move the budgeting process forward.
I have developed an outline of discussion topics below.
Pay Plan Assumptions
At the May 24, 2021 budget meeting, the City Council concurred that the preliminary budget
should include a 3.00% cost of living adjustment (COLA). This percentage is applied to the City’s
Pay Plan for full‐time employees.
City staff has surveyed neighboring cities, with an average COLA of 3.09%, a high of 3.50% and a
low of 3.00%. City staff will discuss with the City Council how this data compares with data from
the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Consumer Price Index.
Benefit Assumptions
The preliminary budget includes inflationary estimates for the costs of employer provided
benefits, with assumptions as follows:
‐ Health Insurance: 10% increase in premiums
‐ Dental Insurance: 5% increase in premiums
‐ Disability/Life Insurance: 3% increase in premiums
City staff is currently working to finalize the renewals of the City’s policies with the respective
insurance providers. The estimates above are considered to be conservative. The final budget to
be adopted in December 2021, should reflect the actual increases in premiums.
City staff can discuss the City’s benefit package in more detail during this meeting if the City
Council has any additional questions.
Item 1
City of Otsego│13400 90th Street NE, Otsego, MN 55330│Tel. (763) 441‐4414 Fax (763) 441‐9163
Staffing
The preliminary budget includes the following staffing changes when compared to the 2021
budget:
‐ Administrative Internship
‐ Part‐Time Finance Assistant
‐ Full‐Time Street Maintenance I
‐ Full‐Time Parks & Recreation Operations Coordinator
The requested positions have been reviewed in detail during prior budget meetings, but City staff
will provide additional overview and discuss hiring timelines and budget impacts.
Contracted Services
There are a number of services that the City contracts with other governmental/private entities
for, with the preliminary budget reflecting the increased service costs for:
‐ Assessor: Provided by Wright County; increase of $12,628.
‐ Building Official & Inspections: Provided by Metro West; increase of $58,500.
‐ Law Enforcement: Provided by Wright County; increase of $42,924.
‐ Fire Protection: Provided by Albertville, Elk River & Rogers; increase of $150,650.
The four individual items above account for 35% of the preliminary budget increase.
Unique Drivers
There are a handful of other unique items included within the preliminary budget:
‐ Elections: Since elections do not occur on an annual basis, the budget is cyclical causing
every‐other year impacts.
‐ Information Security: The preliminary budget includes additional professional services
within the IT Department to complete a comprehensive information security analysis. This
service will provide an assessment of risk, identify strengths and weaknesses, and develop
a roadmap to improve information security.
‐ Comprehensive Plan: The City last updated its Comprehensive Plan in 2012. The
preliminary budget includes funding to update this document in 2022.
Budget Summary
City staff will provide a review of a number of summary budget documents included in the City
Council packet.
Property Tax Levy
Attached with the packet for this meeting, is an updated summary. Staff will review and explain
any changes that have occurred since the last budget meeting.
City staff will also review the impacts of the preliminary tax levy on the City’s tax rate and provide
an estimate of City taxes on a median value home.
City of Otsego│13400 90th Street NE, Otsego, MN 55330│Tel. (763) 441‐4414 Fax (763) 441‐9163
Council Roundtable
This is an opportunity for the Council to express their current view on the budgets as presented
thus far and to discuss any recommended changes to the preliminary budgets and tax levies.
Next Steps
The Council will need to adopt the preliminary property tax levy, which is the maximum amount
the City can levy for taxes payable 2022. This action will take place at a regular Council meeting, on
the 27th of September.
It should be noted that the preliminary property tax levy is the amount used for truth‐in‐taxation
notices that are sent to the taxpayers by Wright County.
The final budget and property tax levy will not be adopted by the City Council until December.
Changes to the budget can still be made between now and then, but increases to expenditures
become difficult because the primary revenue source to pay for those increases is property taxes.
The property tax levy can be decreased between now and then, but the levy cannot be increased.
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on how they would like to proceed.
Materials Attached for Discussion
1) General Fund Budget – Revenue & Expenditure Summary
2) General Fund Budget – Summary of Expenditures by Function
3) Property Tax Levy Summary
City of OtsegoGeneral Fund Budget ‐ 2022Requested BudgetRevenue & Expenditure SummaryRequested PreliminaryActual Actual Year‐to‐Date Budget Budget Budget2019 2020 2021 2021 2022 2022 $ Change % ChangeRevenuesTaxes 4,192,198$ 4,497,724$ 2,543,576$ 4,646,632$ 4,973,035$ 5,010,985$ 364,353$ 7.84%Cable Franchise Fees 137,510 132,137 96,191 135,000 129,000 129,000 (6,000) ‐4.44%Licenses & Permits 1,699,879 2,532,789 1,903,097 1,200,810 1,510,639 1,510,639 309,829 25.80%Intergovernmental 88,328 1,396,214 960,832 87,500 87,500 87,500 ‐ 0.00%Charges for Services 308,290 255,598 296,292 198,915 238,871 238,871 39,956 20.09%Special Assessments 5,703 5,434 3,728 3,500 3,400 3,400 (100) ‐2.86%Fines & Forfeitures 26,488 19,959 17,427 24,000 24,000 24,000 ‐ 0.00%Investment Interest 147,940 170,477 30,907 72,000 78,000 78,000 6,000 8.33%Miscellaneous 49,309 23,984 10,804 ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Interfund Transfers 171,900 201,796 ‐ 243,100 286,800 286,800 43,700 17.98%Subtotal6,827,546 9,236,110 5,862,854 6,611,457 7,331,245 7,369,195 757,738 11.46%ExpendituresGeneral Government 1,215,969 1,419,636 944,240 1,540,869 1,765,033 1,765,033 224,164 14.55%Public Safety 2,379,438 2,667,435 1,855,598 2,714,553 2,993,027 2,993,027 278,474 10.26%Public Works 1,250,720 1,204,666 874,743 1,429,909 1,556,316 1,556,316 126,407 8.84%Culture & Recreation 707,699 697,455 510,612 796,416 892,909 892,909 96,493 12.12%Economic Development 114,142 665,798 59,740 129,710 123,960 161,910 32,200 24.82%Interfund Transfers 971,726 932,244 ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Subtotal6,639,694 7,587,233 4,244,932 6,611,457 7,331,245 7,369,195 757,738 11.46%Net Change in Fund Balance187,852$ 1,648,877$ 1,617,921$ ‐$ (0)$ (0)$ Description
City of OtsegoGeneral Fund Budget ‐ 2022Expenditures by Function SummaryRequested AmountsRequested PreliminaryActual Actual Year‐to‐Date Budget Budget Budget2019 2020 2021 2021 2022 2022 $ Change % ChangeGeneral Government41100 City Council 77,002$ 86,113$ 67,490$ 157,739$ 149,967$ 149,967$ 41320 City Administrator 161,597 171,207 115,211 185,333 202,438 202,438 41400 Administration 310,385 274,719 201,436 306,079 326,018 326,018 41410 Elections 2,547 34,185 ‐ 1,600 69,776 69,776 41550 Assessing 112,976 125,118 139,898 137,374 150,002 150,002 41600 Finance 213,731 248,740 187,318 275,188 320,943 320,943 41650 Information Technology 76,089 150,916 60,098 102,840 127,630 127,630 41700 Legal 95,478 83,558 26,131 99,000 93,150 93,150 41800 Human Resources 292 89,169 38,556 75,063 126,110 126,110 41940 Prairie Center 43,452 39,525 25,227 48,506 54,070 54,070 41945 City Hall & Public Works Building 119,505 113,397 80,588 148,847 141,529 141,529 41950 Old Township Site 2,916 2,990 2,287 3,300 3,400 3,400 Subtotal1,215,969 1,419,636 944,240 1,540,869 1,765,033 1,765,033 224,164 14.55%Public Safety42100 Police Services 1,326,668 1,391,755 970,867 1,456,260 1,499,184 1,499,184 42150 Public Safety Commission 670 390 ‐ 2,960 2,960 2,960 42200 Fire Protection 633,384 723,016 552,146 769,299 919,949 919,949 42410 Building Safety 399,931 535,092 311,039 467,734 545,334 545,334 42500 Emergency Management 2,549 2,391 10,400 2,600 8,900 8,900 42710 Animal Control 16,237 14,790 11,145 15,700 16,700 16,700 Subtotal2,379,438 2,667,435 1,855,598 2,714,553 2,993,027 2,993,027 278,474 10.26%Public Works43100 Streets 781,889 778,343 593,791 928,278 1,025,341 1,025,341 43150 Engineering 90,784 52,253 34,461 92,400 87,500 87,500 43160 Street Lights 144,594 153,058 102,738 158,920 167,080 167,080 43240 Fleet Management 233,453 221,012 143,754 250,311 276,395 276,395 Subtotal1,250,720 1,204,666 874,743 1,429,909 1,556,316 1,556,316 126,407 8.84%Culture & Recreation45200 Park Maintenance 478,537 502,867 363,111 550,097 619,109 619,109 45250 Recreation 228,882 194,288 147,501 243,839 268,500 268,500 45300 Heritage Preservation Commission 280 300 ‐ 2,480 2,840 2,840 45350 Parks & Recreation Commission ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ 2,460 2,460 Subtotal707,699 697,455 510,612 796,416 892,909 892,909 96,493 12.12%Economic Development46530 Planning Commission 1,500 1,550 ‐ 4,000 3,500 3,500 46570 Planning 107,637 102,460 48,719 110,250 105,000 142,950 46580 Economic Development 5,004 561,788 11,021 15,460 15,460 15,460 Subtotal114,142 665,798 59,740 129,710 123,960 161,910 32,200 24.82%Interfund Transfers49300 Interfund Transfers 971,726 932,244 ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Subtotal971,726 932,244 ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Grand Total6,639,694$ 7,587,233$ 4,244,932$ 6,611,457$ 7,331,245$ 7,369,195$ 757,738$ 11.46%Function & Department
City of Otsego
Property Tax Levy Calculations
Payable 2022
Revised: September 10, 2021
$% $%
2020 2021 2022 Change Change 2022 Change Change Comment
General Revenues 4,518,000 4,671,000 4,980,000 309,000 6.62% 5,019,000 348,000 7.45%Reflects Addition of Comp Plan Budget
Tax Abatements 56,491 45,874 40,422 (5,452) ‐11.88% 40,422 (5,452) ‐11.88%
Debt Service
Series 2010B 460,000 460,000 ‐ (460,000) ‐ (460,000)
Series 2018A 91,758 94,551 97,187 2,636 97,187 2,636
Series 2020A 195,000 195,000 450,000 255,000 450,000 255,000
**NEW** ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
Sub‐total 746,758 749,551 547,187 (202,364) ‐27.00% 547,187 (202,364) ‐27.00%
Capital Reserves
Pavement Management 950,000 1,050,000 1,100,000 50,000 1,100,000 50,000
Trails Management 33,000 40,000 43,000 3,000 43,000 3,000
Parks Equipment 60,000 62,000 64,000 2,000 64,000 2,000
Capital Equipment Revolving 280,000 300,000 320,000 20,000 320,000 20,000
Fire Reserve 180,000 190,000 200,000 10,000 200,000 10,000
Storm Water 32,000 34,000 36,000 2,000 36,000 2,000
Capital Improvements 318,000 661,000 ‐ (661,000) ‐ (661,000)
City Buildings & Property 20,000 25,000 30,000 5,000 30,000 5,000
Sub‐total 1,873,000 2,362,000 1,793,000 (569,000) ‐24.09% 1,793,000 (569,000) ‐24.09%
Tax Rate Management (Flexibility) 966,186 1,185,396 Reduction Offsets Increased General Fund
Grand Total 7,194,249 7,828,425 8,326,795 498,370 6.37% 8,585,005 756,580 9.66%
Growth (%) 7.22% 8.82%
Tax Capacity 20,742,285 22,876,221 24,331,856 25,086,375 Per Wright County (9‐9‐2021)
Growth (%) 10.95% 10.29% 6.36% 9.66%
Net Tax Capacity 20,497,278 22,591,258 24,028,761 24,773,881 98.75% of Tax Capacity (Based on 2021)
Growth (%) 10.15% 10.22% 6.36% 9.66%
Tax Rate 35.099 34.653 34.653 34.653
Population 17,323 18,130 19,966 19,966 Source = U.S. Census Bureau
Tax Levy Per Capita 415 432 417 430
Taxing 2020 2021 2022 2022
Authority Final Tax Rate Final Tax Rate Estimate Change Estimate Change
City of Otsego 35.099 34.653 34.653 0.00% 34.653 0.00%
Wright County 44.421 43.719 43.719 0.00% 43.719 0.00%
School District 34.371 31.717 31.717 0.00% 31.717 0.00%
School District ‐ RMV 29.961 30.598 30.598 0.00% 30.598 0.00%
Description 2020 2021 2022 Change 2022 Change
Median Appraised Value 247,859 258,455 290,081 12.24% 290,081 12.24%
Less: MV Exclusion (14,933) (13,979) (11,133) (11,133)
Taxable Market Value 232,926 244,476 278,948 14.10% 278,948 14.10%
Tax Capacity 2,329 2,445 2,789 2,789
2020 2021 2022 2022
Taxing Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated
Authority Tax Tax Tax Change Tax Change
City of Otsego 818 847 967 14.17% 967 14.17%
Wright County 1,035 1,069 1,220 14.13% 1,220 14.13%
School District 801 775 885 14.19% 885 14.19%
School District ‐ RMV 743 791 888 12.26% 888 12.26%
Total 3,397 3,482 3,960 13.73% 3,960 13.73%
Annual Increase 478 478
Meeting #6 (8‐30‐2021) Meeting #7 (9‐13‐2021)
Levy Description
The City rate is calculated by the Finance
Director. County and School District tax rates
were obtained from Wright County, and
represent the tax rate from their respective
preliminary levies and are NOT FINAL.
Source = Wright County Assessor
These are best estimates calculated by the
Finance Director based upon information
available at the time of presentation. These
should only be considered as estimates, and
should NOT be considered final.
X:\Budget\2022\Property Taxes\Tax Levy Calculations 9‐13