The Anoka County Board of Commissioners this week approved
a 2008 budget of $253.3 million, which results in a final certified
county property tax levy of $110.8 million after the wheelage tax is
subtracted. This budget maintains the county’s historically
low per person county property taxes while placing a high priority
on public safety and transportation issues.
“Keeping our communities safe and meeting the basic
transportation needs of citizens are core responsibilities of county
government,” said Anoka County Board Chair Dennis Berg. “We
face the challenge of keeping our roads and bridges in good
condition and also expanding public transit options for an aging
population that no longer wants to drive or is no longer able to.”
The 2008 county budget will result in a moderate property
tax impact for residents. County property taxes on an
average-priced $230,000 house will increase 4.2 percent from $715
annually to $745, or $2.50 a month. (Anoka County only has
authority over the county portion of the total property tax bill.
Cities and school districts have their own taxing authority.)
Construction of a new public safety campus in Andover at
Hanson Blvd. and 133rd Ave. is planned for 2008. The facility will
consolidate most of the Sheriff’s Office operations under one roof,
with the exception of the county jail and court security, which will
remain in Anoka. It will feature a full-service regional forensic
lab, a cooperative effort between Anoka, Wright, and Sherburne
Counties. In addition, Anoka County will partner with Hamline
University in St. Paul to offer practical experience and internships
to students studying forensic science.
“The regional forensic lab will allow public safety
officers to conduct fingerprint identification and complete the
analysis of drug chemistry, DNA, trace evidence, and toxicology,”
said Anoka County Commissioner Scott LeDoux, chair of the county’s
Public Safety Committee. “This will ease the backlog of evidence
processing at the State Bureau of Criminal Investigation.” The
county is seeking $6 million from the State of Minnesota for
construction of the forensic lab.
In 2008 the county plans to spend $20 million in road
construction projects designed to ease congestion, improve safety,
and meet the needs of commercial and residential growth. Key
projects include the upgrade of University Ave. to a four-lane
divided urban highway between County State Aid Hwy. 10 (old Trunk
Hwy. 10) and new Trunk Hwy. 10 in the cities of Blaine and Coon
Rapids; the upgrade of Sunfish Lake Blvd. (CSAH 57) to a four-lane
divided urban highway from Trunk Hwy. 10 through the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing in the city of Ramsey;
continuation of work on the new interchange on 125th Ave. (CSAH 14)
at Trunk Hwy. 65 and the reconstruction of Main St. (CSAH 14) from
I-35W to I-35E in the cities of Centerville and Lino Lakes. More
than $850,000 has been budgeted to replace and upgrade equipment,
including a new snowplow, and another $800,000 for salt for snow and
ice removal.
Anoka County is committed to continuing efforts to control
costs and preserve services in all areas, even in the face of
cutbacks at the federal and state level, according to Anoka County
Commissioner Dan Erhart. “Communities are being asked to pay a
greater share of the costs of local bus service,” he said. “A great
many people rely on public transportation – the elderly, people who
are disabled, and people who cannot afford an automobile. Anoka
County will provide safe, reliable, and affordable transit services
so people can continue to live independently.”
Construction of the new Medical Examiner’s Office in Ramsey
is scheduled for completion in late 2008. “Anoka County contracts
with nine neighboring counties to provide Medical Examiner
services,” said Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah, chair of
the county’s Human Services Committee. “By developing partnerships
such as this, we are able to provide needed services and make the
most efficient use of resources.”
Throughout county government, 13 new positions are being
created and funding is being restored to six positions previously
left unfunded. While no layoffs are planned, 79 positions will
remain vacant without funding in 2008.
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