City Services
I believe the city needs to focus on providing core services first. Things like, police, fire, road maintenance, parks plowing and key infrastructure improvements. Decide what our core services are make sure we are doing those as well and cost effectively as possible. If there are things the city is involved in that are not part of its core priorities, or that private enterprise could do better the city should look to remove ourselves from doing those things.
Economic Developement
Shakopee is poised to continue to be an attractive location for businesses to start-up or relocate to for the foreseeable future. My goal is to see that each new entity that comes to Shakopee is able to pay for the services provided or the incentives given to them by the taxpayers through the benefits that company brings back to the city. Be that ongoing tax revenue, well-paying jobs for Shakopee residents, or other measurable benefits.
GROWTH
The met council has said Shakopee at full build out will be a city of 68,000 residents. Although I am not 100 percent confident in their predictions, as a city of over 45,000 and counting today we are approaching full build out more quickly than you might expect. What will that mean for city services that are being primarily paid for by growth when the growth stops? I think we owe it to the future residents of Shakopee to begin thinking about what happens to the next generation if we do not begin to plan now for these realities.
Prepared and Paid for by Ken Ludzack for City Council, 1253 Wood Duck Trail, Shakopee, MN 55379