(KNSI) – Two area cities have proposed 2025 budgets with general fund increases significantly above inflation.
The Waite Park and Sauk Rapids councils will pore over the preliminary figures at meetings on Monday night. Waite Park’s hike is the larger of the two, at potentially a 10.7% increase compared to Sauk Rapids’ 6.83% bump.
Both administrations say the most significant contributor is wage and benefits, particularly set asides for workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance premiums. Public safety is also a factor. Waite Park is expanding its municipal complex as it has run out of space for its police department. Sauk Rapids is looking to hire two police officers. One will replace an upcoming retirement, but the other represents an expansion of the force.
Both have proposed increases above the 2.31% put forward by St. Cloud, but Sauk Rapids says its tax rate remains near the lowest in the area. The preliminary figure often represents the largest possible hike, and final numbers could come in significantly lower.
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