Edina City Council — Transcript
Monday, December 11, 2023
Story
Edina School Board Proposes 5.26% Property Tax Increase for 2024
Community Comment Policy and Meeting Management
School District Financial Audit and Budgeting
Votes (2)
Motion to Limit Community Comment
Dissent: None recorded during the vote, though a member of the public later objected to the restriction.
Moved by Director Green [2:32] · Seconded by Unknown [2:39]
Director Green proposed limiting community comment to 30 minutes to manage a dense agenda including the audit review and taxation hearing. The motion aimed to ensure at least nine speakers could participate under the three-minute rule.
Truth in Taxation Hearing
Dissent: Eva Hajan [22:04] attempted to speak on non-tax issues and was ruled out of order, leading to a meeting recess.
Moved by Chair Allenberg [4:54] · Seconded by N/A
Director Mat Woodard presented the financial status of the district. Key points included a $3.6 million increase in the property tax levy (5.26%), the impact of state funding lagging behind inflation by $1,400 per pupil, and the growth of the local tax base mitigating taxpayer impact.
Notable Quotes (3)
I propose that we limit the community comment to 30 minutes pursuant with policy 206... so we will be able to have nine speakers.
There you can see the gap between what the state has appropriated over the last 20 years and what actual inflation has been. The difference is about $1,400 per pupil unit.
Staff compensation actually makes up about 79% of all of our expenditures... any changes to this category would obviously have a significant impact on the school district's Financial Outlook.
Ordinances & Resolutions (4)
Board policy regarding community comment and public participation at meetings.
Financial audit results presented to the board for review.
The proposed property tax levy certification for the subsequent fiscal year.
District plan emphasizing civil discourse, empathy, and multiple perspectives.