As the work intensifies to shape a 2008/09 Eden Prairie city budget, it is a time for the City Council to balance spending and taxes, to examine short- and long-range goals and to consider how future revenue will keep up with fast-rising expenses and cumulative debt.
The work process includes a “first.” The city manager, staff and council are being assisted by a conscientious Budget Advisory Task Force. It is the initial step to improve the budget-making process; we are learning from it and are seeing ways the council can more pro-actively guide its direction. To improve is a must as we try to restrain spending and keep taxes under control.
First, spending is sharply up. A review of our 2006/07 budgets reveals significant spending increases over previous years:
