The Issues At Hand
Budget
Money, Money, Money
Our budget has grown over the past few years.
In 2018, the City approved an $84 million budget.
2020 approved budget has grown to over $100 million.
In 2020, the COVID pandemic will directly affect our city's budget. While the complete financial impact isn't clear, discussion has taken place how the revenue shortage could cause a significant increase in our
2022 property taxes.
I will continue to scrutinize the budget, ask the tough questions, and am prepared to tighten the belt at the city level and to ensure our tax dollars are spent on the immediate needs of the community.
Infrastructure
Better Woodbury
Our basic infrastructure needs are not being adequately funded by our tax dollars resulting in higher
Road Rehabilitation Assessments
for the homeowners.
Our water and sewer fund is depleting and the care and replacement of our aging infrastructure hasn't been planned for resulting in a water and sewer rate increase for the sixth straight year.
Our City has not had any funding or plan in place to take care of our
Parks and Trail system,
which means a higher tax burden on the citizens and deteriorating trails.
Water
Safe, Clean, Affordable Water
Seven of our nineteen wells have
PFAS levels above
the Department of Health's recommendation. While the city has applied for and received grant money from the settlement to build a temporary treatment plant which enabled four of the wells to come back online, in the past, our City has been forced to "mix" the polluted well water with the "safe" water.
I will work with the advisory council to ensure Woodbury's water is safe, clean, and affordable.