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As 2017 award winners in Taylors Falls’ annual St. Croix River Valley Stewardship honors, the city council welcomed and surprised long-time residents Dr. William (Bill) and Barb Young at a council meeting Dec. 27.

Throughout the years of the stewardship selections, council members have shown a knack for getting the annual recipients to attend this particular meeting under false pretenses.

Bill and Barb Young have lived in Taylors Falls since the early 1970s, choosing to settle where Bill’s mother was raised.

From the start the Youngs became active volunteers through the local United Methodist Church including providing service to children.
In 1978, ‘Doc’ and Barb became charter members of the Taylors Falls Historical Society for which Barb later served many years as board secretary.

The Youngs have been active participants and coordinators for many special activities. In 1985, Barb was one of the founders of the city’s annual Lighting Festival and in 1989 she accepted the annual honor to be “Royal Lady of the Village.” She also led one of her most memorable Taylors Falls historic building tours in 1989, when she and guests walked the “Wind Chill Factor House Tour” which was the name of a popular mystery novel.

Bill had begun his medical career in 1972 at the St. Croix Regional Medical Center. He served patients there for 30 years, and he also agreed to an appointed position as Taylors Falls city “health officer.” Away from his profession, Dr. Young served on the city’s Library Board where he gave many years as board president.

With their recent honor as stewardship designees for Taylors Falls, the Youngs will be invited to ride as grand marshals in next summer’s Wannigan Days parade.

In other business Dec. 27, City Council members approved a final levy for taxes payable in 2017.

They moved ahead with certifying a levy total of $642,303, or the amount they discussed in setting the not to exceed sum last September.

The totals include an increase for the general fund (about $16,000 more, up to $325,603) and the city was also scheduled for a hike of $10,000 in its debt obligations to pay for water well infrastructure.

Those higher amounts are being offset somewhat by reductions in levying for other funds.

Levy amounts that are continuing from 2016 include $12,000 for the library fund, $8,000 for the community center fund, $5,000 for the firefighters’ pension fund, $10,000 for a Heritage Park fund, $45,000 for capital equipment or improvements, $55,000 for paying debt obligations on city buildings, $58,000 for street improvements, $60,000 for property tax abatement, and $20,000 for special projects.

The city approved a slight levy increase for funding general park improvements, a decrease of $300 for economic development planning (down to a total of $1,500), and a $10,000 decrease for the Valleyview Trail fund. The trail fund levy amount had been $25,000 last year.

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