When Eagan voters cast their ballots for City Council in November, they'll be choosing between longtime incumbents and challengers who are pushing for a skeptical look at the budget.
At a candidate forum, council incumbents and Mayor Mike Maguire pointed to records of fiscal prudence and progress on the Cedar Grove redevelopment area, east of Hwy. 77 on Cedar Avenue.
The area boasts Twin Cities Premium Outlets, now the closest outlet mall to the Twin Cities core, which opened with 100 stores in August.
But challengers Dave Meyer and Gale Anderson expressed concern about the price tags of some of the city's largest endeavors and their lasting financial implications.
Anderson, a CICS systems programmer, said he wants to make "sure we're not going beyond what the city can support."
Meyer, who has 25 years of experience in the printing industry, said he wants to provide more balance to the five-member council by adding a working man's perspective. He criticized the council's decision to spend $21 million on the Cedarvale parking ramp as part of the redevelopment project. "I don't think that if it came to a referendum, taxpayers would ever approve that," he said.
Mayor Maguire discounted that, saying the city financed the parking structure with about $12 million in bonds.
Incumbents Paul Bakken and Gary Hansen, who have served on the council 12 and six years, respectively, praised the Cedar Grove revitalization efforts for drawing more business and creating new jobs in Eagan.
