In a tough economic environment, two North Mankato City Council members questioned whether the city should be spending tax dollars to send up to seven city leaders to Burlington, Vt.

Councilman Kenny DeWitte suggested limiting to two the number of people authorized to participate in the Inter-city Leadership Visit, which sends community leaders to a chosen American city to generate ideas for improving Mankato-North Mankato and to promote local cooperation.

“I don’t even know if that’s necessary,” Councilman Bill Schindle said of sending two city officials. “Times being what they are, I don’t even know if that’s necessary at all. ... ”

Schindle asked City Administrator Wendell Sande what it would cost to send a delegation on the trip, scheduled for April. Sande said the cost hasn’t been determined, but it cost about $1,500 a person when he and Mayor Gary Zellmer attended the Inter-city Leadership Visit to Bellingham, Wash, in 2005. The city did send representatives on the 2006 trip to Fort Collins, Colo.

Zellmer suggested the Council should keep the option open of sending Sande, City Planner Mike Fischer and as many of the five-member Council as choose to go. If budget problems worsen in coming months, the Council can elect to forgo the trip.

“It’s tough now, but we haven’t made a decision yet,” Zellmer said.

Councilman Billy Steiner said the city should be represented on the trip but sending seven people was excessive. Councilwoman Diane Norland said Fischer, considering that the trip is about planning the future of the city, should be included.

DeWitte wondered how much value comes from additional trips: “They’ve been to two cities already, what’s the point of a third?”

The trip is expected to include about 100 leaders from local businesses, nonprofit organizations and governments, and Schindle asked that one of its organizers come to a future meeting to explain the benefits to North Mankato-Mankato of the previous trips. He also asked Sande’s opinion of the Bellingham trip.

Sande said the greatest value — beyond any specific ideas from Bellingham that could be imitated — was the relationships that developed between community leaders.

“The interaction, I thought, was really good,” he said.

Zellmer said the first trip also spurred more long-term community planning in the Mankato area, ideas for downtown redevelopment and the creation of the Twin Rivers Center for the Arts.

“To say nothing’s come out of it, I don’t think is accurate,” Zellmer said.

The authorization was approved on a 3-2 vote.