Will be submitted to the county and the state

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The Austin City Council unanimously voted in favor of adopting the tax levy and budget for 2020 during its regular meeting Monday evening.

The city’s 2020 tax levy is $7,150,000, a $277,000, or 4.03 percent, increase from the 2019 tax levy. This will result in an average increase of $16 next year for a home valued at $100,000.

The increase for 2020 comes from the city planning for the further implementation of the Compensation and Classification study, modifications to some departmental budgets and settling bargaining unit contracts that had not been settled by Dec. 31, 2019.

City expenditures for 2020 are $35,945,802.

The city held its annual Truth in Taxation hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 4. During the hearing, Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert said the council’s goals when determining the 2020 tax levy and budget were to provide the same level of services in 2020 as in 2019 and to keep the tax levy increase at about four percent.

With approval, the city will submit the tax levy and budget to Mower County and the State of Minnesota.