Council crafting final budget
In a meeting that lasted a mere eight minutes Monday night, the New Hampton City Council set March 4 as the date for a public hearing on the city’s annual budget and tax levy.What that budget and levy will look like is still up in the air.The Finance Committee that includes Chairman Scott Perkins and fellow councilmen Scott Carey and Cory McDonald will meet this coming Monday to put the finishing touches on the budget and tax-levy rate that must be “published” sometime between 10 and 20 days of the March 4 hearing.City Clerk Karen Clemens said Wednesday city department heads are looking for about $70,000 in cuts before the final budget is finalized, but she added that there is a chance that the levy rate may increase this year.— For more on this story, see the Feb. 8 New Hampton Tribune.