Ham Lake- Weathering the Storm

I tried to contact the Mayor of Ham Lake, Paul Meunier, to get his thoughts on our community here in Ham lake. Unfortunately I was only able to leave him a message. I then turned my attention to Councilmember Tom Johnson. http://www.ci.ham-lake.mn.us/gov/council/council_profile.asp?ID=3

Much to my suprise he personally answered his phone and was more than happy to chat with me about Ham Lake and it's primary concerns from a community standpoint.



I asked him what the biggest concern was in Ham Lake and he replied, "The budget." He went on to say that their budget is being cut 4.5% this year. I asked him what kind of things were in danger of being affected due to the budget cuts and he said, "Ham Lake has always been fiscally tight. So I think that leaves us in better shape than some other municipalities. We aren't in debt so that has allowed us to weather this economic storm better than some other places." He went on to say that some city employees, however, have had their hours cut and in some cases have seen their pay rate decrease. He was quick to point out that this is happening all over and not just in Ham Lake.



Councilmember Tom Johnson also serves on the Law Enforcement Committee so I asked him if there were any primary concerns from a crime standpoint. He said that he "hasn't really done much with that committee". I did learn that Ham Lake contract their services through Anoka County. I guess that's why I always see the Anoka County Sheriff cars as oppossed to a Ham Lake squad car.



I guess I was a little surprised that the main concern was the budget. I shouldn't be though, it's everyone's main concern. From the Federal Government to state, local, and to the everyday family, making an increasingly smaller budget go further is always a daunting task. Perhaps Councilmember Johnson is right, maybe it's all about having no debt, making some cuts here and there, and just plain weathering the storm. Perhaps the Feds should use Ham Lake as a template.