Rousseau’s Budget Story Doesn’t Match the Numbers

She tells voters that Arden Hills has been “living beyond our means” and “kicking the can down the road.” She acts like the city was in financial trouble and that she is the one stopping it.

Here are the city’s actual numbers every year:

2017: Revenue $5,231,140 → Expenses ($4,536,635) +$694,505 Surplus
2018: Revenue $4,462,682 → Expenses ($4,361,628) +$101,055 Surplus
2019: Revenue $5,004,904 → Expenses ($4,769,687) +$235,217 Surplus
2020: Revenue $5,229,541 → Expenses ($4,586,623) +$642,918 Surplus
2021: Revenue $5,304,591 → Expenses ($4,967,275) +$337,316 Surplus
2022: Revenue $5,501,964 → Expenses ($5,203,009) +$298,955 Surplus
2023: Revenue $5,354,155 → Expenses ($5,343,512) +$10,641 Surplus
2024: Revenue $5,892,355 → Expenses ($5,777,329) +$115,026 Surplus
2025: Revenue $7,286,615 → Expenses ($6,385,267) +$901,348 Surplus

In just the last two years, the city finished with $1,016,374 more than it spent. Those dollars are in the General Fund.

She was on the City Council while this was happening. She voted on the budgets. Now she campaigns like the city was drowning and she alone is saving it.

Simple question:
If the city just put more than $1 million in surplus into the General Fund over the last two years, why does Emily want to keep raising taxes?

The numbers don’t match the story she’s telling.