Road Work Ahead - for a looooong time

One of the biggest frustrations for Ramsey residents is the condition of our roads.  As your council member, I promise to use data-driven methods to evaluate the best and most cost-effective way to maintain and repair our roads.  

 I support the Franchise Fee .  Roads generally last 50-60 years, when properly maintained.  We need to have a long term solution, not just for this generation of Ramsey residents, but also for generations to come.  This is a long term plan that will save Ramsey Residents tax dollars for years to come without kicking the can down the road and having to deal with it over and over. 

The Staff and City Council for the City of Ramsey have researched, gathered info , received valuable public feedback, and debated for over five years to find the best solution for our city.  It  sure seems to be the most efficient option for Ramsey with the least economic impact for most residents and businesses.  

My opponent does not support the Franchise Fee and proposes to carve money from the budget to pay for our road infrastructure.  That would mean budget cuts of  over 13%! He hasn't told us what services those cuts will come from.  Will he cut our police force, fire fighters or snow plow drivers?  He has misstated the fee structure, particularly for the 3 large businesses in our city, stating that they will be charged per meter.  The fee is charged per account, not per meter.   As laid out in the second section below, I believe budget cuts to be a very short sighted and unrealistic stopgap to a long term need for our city.  As a business owner, I would welcome the franchise fee solution when compared to the other options.

• Probable Long Term Solution - re-evaluated in 5 years.
• More Transparent for Residents - the franchise fee is dedicated funding and can only be used for roads.  Taxes that are paid into the general budget can be used for anything.  This is  known as "Mission Creep!"
• Less Expensive - than traditional Bonding & Special Assessments
• Fees Charged by Account, not by Meter - Businesses can get a rebate for multiple meter charges
• Expense for  Residents - $14 per month (Ward 1 is essentially all residential)
• Expense for Almost All Businesses - $20 to $ 115 per month 
• Expense for Only 5 Larger Businesses - Range from $358 to $1010 per month
•  Predictable, Efficient, Cost Effective...I could go on...or you could click on the link below for more info

• Ramsey's Total Annual Budget - $14.4M for 2021 with roadwork estimated at $1.9M
• That's 13%! - carving this amount out of everything else that our city needs!
• Where to Carve?  -  public safety is almost half of Ramsey's budget. That's police, fire, civil defense, etc.  Is public safety where my opponent suggests that half of that $1.9M comes from?  Who gets laid off and what services do we lose?  We're listening!
• Budget Cuts Alone - not feasible  and not smart

• Expensive for Ramsey - Bond costs add 25% to the cost of each project
• Ends up in the Budget  - Increased property taxes AND causes budget headaches for years 
• Expensive for Residents  - Surprise!  Residents can get a very...large...bill 
• Long Term Expense - paid out over years and that means interest costs
• Essentially - this means $125 of Expense for $100 Worth of Road Repair