City government

There may be at least one benefit for Woodbury Mayor Bill Hargis as he nears retirement from public office: no more budget workshops.

Sure, the annual workshop is an important opportunity for City Council members — and the public — to explore the city’s planned budget for the following year in line-by-line detail. That said, the workshop took nearly five hours Wednesday. There were plenty of yawns as the night wore on.

As the workshop drew to a close, council member Paul Rebholz offered a lighthearted comment:

“Bill, congratulations, you finished your last budget workshop.”

Hargis’ term ends this year.

-Scott Wente