R ICHFIELD ✹ D ECEMBER 30, 2010
SPORTS
SUN CURRENT 75¢
Vol. 40, No. 52
In the Community, With the Community, For the Community
Rampage wrestlers fifth in tournament PAGE 24
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Taxes to rise in anticipation of another state cut BY MIKE HANKS • SUN NEWSPAPERS If there’s a silver lining to the 2011 Richfield budget and tax levy, it’s that city officials are planning for a brighter future. A budget that calls for less dependence upon state aid in 2011 will come at a cost to Richfield taxpayers, as the gross tax levy will increase 6.82 percent.
“You won’t be at the mercy of the state,” City Manager Steve Devich told the council during its Dec. 14 meeting. A recurring topic, reductions in state aid have at times created a financial pinch for Richfield. City officials, however, are taking a proactive approach to further cuts in state aid rather than a reactive approach. The city is projected to receive $2.2
million in state aid next year, but “we’re not counting on that,” according to Finance Manager Chris Regis. Given the state’s projected deficit of more than $6 billion next year, the Richfield budget proposal calls for a tax levy increase in anticipation of further cuts in state revenue. The city came up $1.9 million short in 2010, and expects to receive less than the $2.2 million certified for 2011.
The bulk of the tax levy increase is due to the city’s effort to get ahead of the anticipated cut in state funds, Regis noted. For taxpayers the tax rate increase comes at a time when many are seeing a reduction in the valuation of their home. Homeowners seeing a decrease in their TAXES: TO PAGE 18
Hello, winter Loading up the truck Members of the Richfield Middle School Student Council and students who contributed the most toys for the annual holiday Toys for Tots drive load their donations onto a semi trailer outside the KARE-11 studios Dec. 15. The school donated 350 toys, and students delivering the toys appeared on KARE-11 during a newscast that afternoon. (Submitted photo)
CMYK
Snow, cold arrive before winter officially begins BY CHRIS DILLMANN • SUN NEWSPAPERS With winter only a week old, it’s already the snowiest season for the Twin Cities in two decades. Snowfall totals for December broke the record for the month. Why all the snow? “Two things that came into play,” said weather service meteorologist Michelle Margraf. “There’s been extremely cold arctic oscillation, which brings the cold arctic air south combining with warm, moisture heavy air from the south mixing to cause a strong contrast of air masses resulting in the snow, and the tracks have been moving over the upper Midwest.” Margraf said this particular pattern usually doesn’t set up this early, and the storm that started the night of Dec. 10 and lasted through the following Saturday, turned out to be the fifth largest storm on record and largest storm ever in December in the state — 17 inches. When it comes to breaking records, all official records are taken at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which has reported 28.8 inches WINTER: TO PAGE 5