| Contact Gary Schiff More city information Inspections Report Graffiti Animal Control Potholes | City and Park Board approve 0% property tax increase for 2012 Total property tax payments will drop for most Ninth Ward property owners The City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board have both proposed a zero percent increase in property taxes for 2012. “The Park Board is living within its means,” Superintendent Jayne Miller said succinctly. Yet for average Minneapolis homeowners, property tax bills will actually drop, due to a change in a little known provision in State law passed during the last legislation session. The change was the elimination of the Market Value Homestead Credit, replacing it with a new program called Market Value Exclusion Program. The new program shifts a portion of the property tax burden to high-valued homes while lowering the burden for low-valued homes. “Most Ninth Ward homeowners will see their property taxes drop because of the combination of city and park budget freezes and the new State program,” says Gary Schiff, Ninth Ward Council Member. “Every homesteaded property valued at $187,000 is financially better under the new State program,” said Schiff. “For example, the median home value in the East Phillips neighborhood is $123,000, and those homeowners will see a 4 percent drop, for a savings of $58. The average property in the Longfellow neighborhood is worth $174,000, and these homeowners will see a 0.5 percent drop, for a savings of $12. Property tax statements will be mailed by Hennepin County on November 15th. For a preview of the new format and explanation of how to read your statement, click here. The Mayor’s proposed operating and capital budget of $1.2 billion is down 0.8 percent from the $1.21 billion budget passed in 2011. The majority of the $279.6 million general fund that is supported by property taxes will fund core city services, including police and fire, 911 emergency response, criminal prosecutions, traffic control, snow removal and street sweeping. “Cuts under the Mayor’s budget to our crime prevention specialists and a reduction in city prosecutors concern me the most,” Schiff said. “These two areas directly affect the livability of neighborhoods, and as a budget committee member, I am working to find funding for these important needs.” The Minneapolis City Council will vote to adopt a final 2012 budget on December 14, 2011. Before that vote, there will be two meetings where the public will have an opportunity to speak about the 2012 budget proposal. The meeting will be held in City Council Chambers, Room 317 at City Hall, 350 S. 5th Street on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 6:05 p.m. and Wednesday, December 14th, 2011at 6:05 p.m. For more information, visit www.minneapolismn.gov/city-budget/truth-in-taxation.asp. |
MACC’s Pet of the Month is Petey! He is an adorable three-month-old black brindle Shepherd mix puppy. To find out more about adopting a pet like Petey, click here. | Schiff sponsors pet license fee cut In an effort to increase the percentage of licensed pets in Minneapolis, Council Members Gary Schiff has introduced a bill to cut the cost of dog and cat registration. “In the past few years the city has raised the fees, and the number of people registering their pet has dropped. Last year only 12% of dogs in Minneapolis were licensed,” Schiff said. “By making the fees more affordable, I hope more people will register their pet.” Schiff notes that lost licensed pets are three times more likely to be returned home than unlicensed pets. Pet licenses also help Minneapolis Animal Care and Control provide basic veterinary and emergency care for all stray animals, animal cruelty and dangerous animal investigations and enforcement, and efforts to find homes for stray and abandoned animals. The proposal includes a new reduction for low-income pet owners of $15 for a one-year license compared to $30 today. The three-year pet license will decrease from $90 to $75. Citations for unlicensed animals would increase as an extra incentive to encourage pet registration. For more information about pet licenses, or to license your pet online now, click here. MACC also accepts donations online to help care for the nearly 4,000 animals brought to MACC each year. More legal help for renters For Minneapolis renters who need legal advice regarding a landlord, more help is now available. Home Line, a nonprofit located at 3455 Bloomington Avenue, is adding low-cost legal services for all Minneapolis renters. For as little as $25, renters will be able to consult in person or over the phone with an experienced attorney. “Renters need to be informed so they don’t get taken advantage of,” says Home Line Director Beth Kodluboy. “Talking to an attorney can save renters a lot of trouble and money.” HOME Line’s four staff attorneys have a combined 36 years advising over 44,000 Minnesota renters. Through consulting with an attorney, renters can find out what is important to review in a lease, how to sue landlords in conciliation court and how to deal with privacy intrusions. Home Line’s tenant hotline at 612-728-5767. Minneapolis renters may also find HOME Line’s book on tenants’ rights useful. Additionally, Minneapolis renters can find self-help materials online at LawHelpMN.org, and low-income renters may qualify for Legal Aid at 612-334-5970. Proposal to ease church-liquor separation advances |
Click photo above for a KARE 11 news story about the ordinance to eliminate church distancing requirements for neighborhood restaurants and microbreweries. | Council Member Schiff’s ordinance to eliminate church distancing requirements for restaurants and microbreweries passed out of committee and heads to the full City Council for a vote November 18th. “Neighborhood restaurants shouldn’t be faced with unfair competition just because a church or other religious place of assembly is located within 300 feet” Schiff says. Under current rules, neighborhood restaurants within 300 feet of a church must show that 70 percent of their sales are in food, while restaurants more than 300 feet from a church can have only 60 percent of their sales in food. Bars are not affected by the ordinance change are will still only be allowed downtown. For microbrewer Rob Miller, the law presents an immediate issue. After Miller put together his business plan, found investors, received the support of area businesses and his neighborhood association, he found out he couldn’t obtain a license because the vacant space he wanted to rent in Northeast Minneapolis is too close to a church. His microbrewery Dangerous Man Brewing Company, is holding off on signing his lease depending on the outcome of the City Council vote. “We have the opportunity to create jobs and help new businesses by cutting red tape,” Schiff said. “In this recession, we should do everything we can to help small businesses and these types of laws are out-dated.” Phillips neighborhood celebrates 200th birthday of Wendell Phillips |
This Friday, there will be a celebration to mark the 200th birthday of Wendell Phillips, namesake of the Phillips Neighborhood. | Of the 82 neighborhoods in Minneapolis , many are named after famous figures from history. This Friday, the Phillips Neighborhood will celebrate the 200th birthday of their neighborhood’s namesake, Wendell Phillips, as well as marking 36 years for The Alley newspaper. Born in 1811, Wendell Phillips is known as a social justice advocate and orator. He fought for the rights of women, workers, Native Americans, and African Americans. The celebration will take place this Friday, November 11 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church (East 28th Street and 15th Avenue South). There is a suggested donation of $20, kids are free, and no one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay. The event is for all residents who want to know who Phillips was and why the Phillips neighborhood was named after him. Injustices that Phillips fought against include: wealthy business interests who worked employees 12 hours a day, six days a week, racist Boston politicians who forced African American children to attend inferior, segregated schools, and U.S. military expeditions against the Native people of Minnesota and the Dakotas. The celebration will include stories, food, and entertainment. There will even be a biographer reenacting Wendell Phillips himself, who will be available to answer questions from the audience. Food will be “Boston” themed, as a nod to Wendell’s birthplace and will include clam-free chowder, baked beans, salad, coffee, and cream pie. The event will also celebrate 36 years of The Alley, the community newspaper of the Phillips Community in Minneapolis , serving more than 20,000 residents and many businesses, agencies, schools, and visitors to Phillips. |
