I'm at the city council agenda session right now and Councilor Todd Fedora just asked Mayor Ness if he plans to raise taxes to make-up for an anticipated cut in local government aid.

The guv plans to trim LGA to cities and counties as a way to balance the state's budget. He's proposed a nearly $5m reduction for Duluth.

"Our goal is to address this budget crisis with the resources we have," Ness said minutes ago. "It's our goal to limit the impact on operations, on staff and avoid tax increases if possible."

But Ness did say he believes in a "balanced approach" which probably means everyone, including taxpayers, must share the pain.