Petition to force a public vote on a $2,600,000 property tax levy to fund bonds to be purchased by Hennepin County to fund the County Road 81 project.

Last year, the Crystal City Council approved a plan to widen County Rd. 81 to handle up to six lanes of traffic. The County threatened the City Council that County Rd. 81 would not be refinished, if their plan was not accepted. Despite a large public outcry (the City Council chambers were filled to standing room only), they caved to Hennepin County’s wishes anyway. Anyone who drives on County Rd. 81 knows that it is in terrible shape, and ignoring the condition of that road would be negligent on the County’s part. In the process of completing this project, many good families have lost their homes, and many more will lose their homes and/or some property. A frontage road is going to be directed down a residential street, where there are a lot of children at play. The truth is, this affects everyone in the city. Our taxes are going to go up to finance this project.

1)       The County will charge a special assessment of $524,650 (total) to property owners for the conversion of residential roads into frontage roads.

2)       The City of Crystal wishes to write bonds in the amount of $2,600,000 (not a final number). The County will buy these bonds at no interest, but the payback will come in the form of a property tax levy against property owners.

We have 30 days (until 9/1/09) to get 520 signatures on the petition. By getting 520 signatures, we can force the City to bring this to a vote of all the people. That way we all can have a say in how our money is spent.

Please sign this petition if you are a resident of the City of Crystal, MN, and if you believe that you have a right to have a say in how your money is spent, and to whether the City or County have a right to decide they can demand additional amounts of your income, at the snap of their fingers.

Signing this petition is no more (or no less) than a statement that regardless of how you feel about the County Rd. 81 reconstruction, that you demand of the City of Crystal, that the people of Crystal disapprove of an involuntary property tax levy, and deserve the chance to vote on it first.

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