Grand Marais sets levy for 2016

During a special meeting of the Grand Marais City Council on Friday, Dec. 18, it was officially determined that the levy for the city’s budget will be an increase of 5.79 percent.

In many aspects, this is cheerful news for Grand Marais taxpayers, as the original proposed levy was an increase of 12.2 percent over the current year. The city’s levy in dollar figures is $871,865. To reduce this figure from the most recent amount that was proposed, the city made changes in what it will pay for medical insurance to staff.  Previous reductions to the levy came in November as a result of adjustments to administrative expenditures, less money allocated to the public library and potential revenue from the city-owned Recreation Park. 

Grand Marais Mayor Jay Arrowsmith-Decoux said the budget change from 2015 is due to increased expenses the city is subject to through "our obligations to our employees and overall operations expenses."

A levy increase refers to the city's overall budget, so the 5.79-percent increase is in regard to that figure. It does not mean a 5.79-percent increase in each individual’s property taxes.