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Committee discusses funding options, potential local historic-preservation ordinance and move away from 'reactive' budgeting
Summary
Council members discussed mechanisms to fund local projects — including special-area taxes, grants and a possible local historic-preservation ordinance to unlock state/federal incentives — and the treasurer pledged to stop operating on a 'reactive' budget while urging grants be exhausted before proposing taxes.
Committee Chair George reopened unfinished business about funding for recurring local problems such as flooding in County Park and other maintenance needs and outlined options, including a special-area tax that can be levied for up to 20 years within identified boundaries to pay for local improvements.
George explained the special-area-tax process and emphasized it applies only to properties inside the defined boundaries, not the whole city. He and other members discussed the need to identify precise boundaries, follow the multi-month process and secure local buy-in before such a tax could be enacted.
Several speakers urged exploring grants and incentives first. Sharon Guile and others urged updating local ordinances to make residents and businesses in the historic-shopping district eligible for tax freezes, abatements and historic-preservation funding; George offered to research a local historic-preservation ordinance and consult the city attorney about drafting enabling language.
The committee treasurer (Speaker 9) said the administration will not continue with a reactive budget approach and said pursuing grants and program eligibility should come before asking residents to pay additional taxes: “I will not sit in the seat as treasurer and continue to operate on a reactive budget,” the treasurer stated. Committee members agreed funding work will continue and noted upcoming meetings with county and state officials (including FEMA) about floodplain and grant opportunities.
No binding funding decisions or new taxes were adopted at the meeting; the committee identified research and grant-writing as next steps and discussed whether the city needs a dedicated grant writer to pursue available funding.
