The State of Minnesota requires local units of government to conduct public hearings each year near the end of our budget approval process called “Truth-In-Taxation” hearings. The Truth-In-Taxation hearing (we call them TNT hearings) is an opportunity for citizens to publicly provide their opinions, views, and input to their City Councils, School Boards, and County Boards of Commissioners. There are many opportunities to provide budget ideas to elected officials throughout the budget process, but the TNT hearing is the most visible focal point for public input.
Each local unit of government has its own TNT hearing. Tonight is the state-mandated night for cities across the state of Minnesota to host their TNT hearings. The City Council is holding our TNT hearing this evening starting at 7:30 p.m. We moved our regularly scheduled City Council meeting from tomorrow night to tonight to enable the Council to conduct the TNT hearing during a regular meeting night. In addition to saving the Council a meeting night (which is especially valuable to them during this time of the year) the change of meeting night also allows for the TNT hearing to be telecast live on EPTV-16. In previous years we had not telecast, or even recorded, our TNT hearings.
The State Legislature adopted the TNT hearing requirement because they wanted local City Councils, School Boards, and County Commissions to be accountable to their voters for taxing and spending decisions. Historically, the TNT hearings have not been very well attended in most places in Minnesota. In Eden Prairie tonight, we’re looking for higher than average number of citizens to attend our TNT hearing.
We’ll listen to what the hearing participants have to say and seriously consider the public input we receive. The City Council is scheduled to make its final decision on the 2006 budget on December 13.
