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A reasonable city tax levy limit

The New Ulm City Council set the preliminary tax levy for 2018 on Tuesday, with a 5.5 percent maximum increase that will likely be lowered a point or two before the city’s final budget is set in December.

A 5.5 percent increase is a reasonable upper limit. It is a marked contrast to last year’s preliminary levy increase of over 21 percent, a sky-high figure that outraged tax-paying citizens, even though the councilors assured them the final levy would be much lower. It was cut back down to three percent, but not without some criticism that the council was setting citizens up to accept whatever the final figure was with the double-digit preliminary levy figure.

Most of the levy increase is due to increase personnel costs. A two percent wage increase for staff is not unreasonable, and the city is planning to hire a new assistant city manager after the post has been vacant.

This kind of preliminary levy increase shows the council is treating the issue of tax increases fairly and honestly, with no sign of game-playing.

The taxpayers should appreciate that.

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