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City staff and elected officials often receive questions about what it takes to run a city. In an effort to better answer these questions the City of Blaine has partnered with a leading community data company to launch OpenBlaine.
OpenBlaine is powered by the OpenGov platform which is used by more than 2,000 governmental entities across the United States. OpenBlaine will allow users to easily dig into city budget data as well as other non-financial data points collected by the city. You will be able to see the different revenue streams that fund city operations and how that funding is divided between different departments.
You will be able to find featured data here or explore on your own on the OpenBlaine transparency site.
If there is data that you are looking for and cannot find, please contact us and city finance staff will work with you to answer your questions.
The general fund supports the daily operation of city departments.
This fund is for capital equipment expenditures.
Internal service funds are used to account for the financing of services or goods that are provided by one department to other departments, such as workers compensation or pension benefits.
Special revenue funds include the economic development authority fund, the cable television fund, and the charitable gambling fund.
This fund accounts for the operation that oversees the city's refuse, sanitation, and recycling programs.
This fund accounts for the operation and maintenance of the city's wastewater treatment system.
This fund accounts for the operation that oversees the maintenance of the city's storm water management system.
This fund accounts for the operations and maintenance of the city's public water system.
The general fund supports the daily operation of city departments. Each year in September, the City Council approves the preliminary tax levy and proposed general fund budget for the next year. City staff begin working on the proposed budget several months earlier. After the preliminary approvals, the levy and budget can only be lowered, it can not be raised. City staff and the City Council continue to work on the final levy and budget throughout the fall with a public truth in taxation hearing taking place in early to mid-December. The general fund budget and levy receive final approval from the council in late December.
The general fund budget is approved by the City Council and implemented by the City Manager. The City Manager works directly with staff to insure that council directives on the budget are carried out. The City Manager with assistance from the Finance Director reports back to the City Council throughout the year including bringing any needed budget amendments forward for consideration.
Blaine Organization Chart
Electorate
Boards and
Commissions
City Council
City Attorney/City Prosecutor
(Contractual)
City Manager
Administrative Services
Administrative Floats City Clerk Communications*
Human Resources
Finance
Finance
GIS
Information Technology
Utility Billing*
Safety Services
City Facilities*
Community Standards Fire Services
Police Services
Parks and Recreation
Recreation Programs Mary Ann Young Center
Public Works
Engineering
Mechanics
Parks Maintenance
Streets
Water and Sewer*
Stormwater*
Community
Development
Building Inspections Economic Development*
Planning
* Denotes departments that receive all or part of their funding from outside the general fund.
General Fund Expense Breakdown by Sub-Division
When you pay your property taxes only a portion of those taxes go to the City of Blaine. Anoka County and your school district each collect a portion, as well as other small special taxing districts. With Blaine having three different school districts, your tax dollar is divided differently based on which area of the city you live in. School districts levy their own taxes plus additional voter approved levies can make a difference in the total collected by each school district. The city and county tax rate are the same for all residents. Below you can see a breakdown of your property tax dollar by school district.
Residents living in the Anoka-Hennepin School District boundaries see their property tax dollar break down in this way.
Residents living in the Centennial School District boundaries see their property tax dollar break down in this way.
Residents living in the Spring Lake Park School District boundaries see their property tax dollar break down in this way.