Property taxes have gone up only three times in the city's nearly 26-year history. Each of those increases was instituted to cover a specific expense rather than to feed the general fund that finances the city's operating expenses. The most recent increase was in 1997, to pay for the city's fitness center.

West Valley is set to start the budget year with a projected fund balance of $2.8 million, which is only $200,000 more than the legally required minimum, Isaac said. Both Nordfelt and Coleman said the anticipated shortfall is not the fault of budget planners or the actions of elected officials current or past.

While Coleman believes there may be alternatives to a tax increase, he agrees the city's budget has been well-managed. "Nobody who knows what they're talking about can make the argument that the city is not being administered well," he said. "At the same time, I'm a citizen and I know how it feels."

The council will hash over the budget proposal in work and study sessions in the coming months. A public hearing and a possible council vote are planned for Aug. 1.

"I hope that the public will become involved in the issue, that they will become informed and then let us elected officials know what they want," Nordfelt said. "Do they want us to reduce services to keep taxes where they are, do they want us to increase taxes to keep services where they are, or do they want better services?"

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