by Dennis Dalman
Expressing hesitancy, the Sartell City Council voted to endorse the school district’s request for an increase in its operating levy.
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, Sartell and St. Stephen voters will decide whether to increase that levy by $1.7 million annually over a period of 10 years.
At the Oct. 28 City Council meeting, City Administrator Mary Degiovanni said city staff had drafted a resolution in support of the levy’s approval based on input from the city Economic Development Commission, the Sartell Chamber of Commerce and many businesses. They all agree that failure to pass the levy would have an indirect but definite negative impact on the economic strength of the city.
Council members all agreed with that opinion, but several said they were hesitant to pass the resolution because the city should not take sides on levies in other jurisdictions, such as, in this case, the school district.
Council members, however, agreed voters’ approving the levy would keep Sartell economically strong in so many ways and that its failure would likely cause lay-offs and other disruptions to the schools and to the city’s well-being. They approved the resolution to support the levy unanimously.
