FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/11/2014
Contact: Dave Lawless, Office of Budget and
Finance: 612-348-4860 Carolyn Marinan, Public Affairs: 612-348-5969
News release
Increase to owner of median-value home will be $36
The
Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved a maximum property-tax levy for
2015 of $699.9 million – 2.75 percent higher than the 2014 levy.
“Setting the maximum levy is just the beginning of this
process,” said Commissioner Jan Callison, chair of the capital budget and
finance committee. “We will have a series of public meetings to hear our
residents thoughts on this proposal and to look thoroughly at the budget
proposal.”
The impact
of the proposed maximum property tax levy, along with the proposed property tax
levies for the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority and Hennepin County
Housing and Redevelopment Authority, is an approximate increase in
property taxes of $36 or 3.8 percent for a median-valued home of $219,600.
Including 2015, Hennepin County’s property tax levy has
increased by an average of just 0.19 percent per year over the past four years.
Changes in state and federal funding have made the county more reliant on the
property tax levy to fund programs.
The board
is required by state law to adopt a maximum levy in September. It may later
approve a levy that is lower than that maximum, but it cannot set the levy
higher than the maximum adopted today.
In
November, property owners will receive a notice that shows the impact of the
county maximum levy on their property, as well as the impact of taxes proposed
by other local units of government, such as cities and school districts.
The board,
acting as the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA), also
set a maximum HCHRA property-tax levy of $7 million.
Acting as
the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), the board also set the
maximum property-tax levy for the HCRRA at $27 million.
The board
will conduct an official public meeting to gather public comment about the
proposed budget and levies on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. The board also set a
public hearing for the county’s 2014-2018 capital improvements budget followed
by a hearing on proposed changes to fees for county services on Thursday, Oct.
23 at 9:30 a.m.
The proposed Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy
and budget will be discussed Tuesday, Nov. 4, and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad
Authority levy and budget will be discussed Tuesday, Oct. 14– both immediately following
the board meeting (which starts at 1:30 p.m.) and also at the budget meeting Dec. 2.
The final
county, Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Hennepin County
Regional Railroad Authority budgets and tax levies will be adopted on Tuesday,
Dec. 16, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
County
Administrator David Hough presented the proposed 2014 Hennepin County budget to
the board on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The board will launch a series of budget
hearings beginning in October to discuss the budget and gather public input.
The meetings can be viewed live on Metro Cable Network/Channel 6 or online at www.hennepin.us/boardmeetings.
All budget
meetings are held in the Board Room on the 24th
floor of the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. Sixth St. in downtown
Minneapolis and are open to the public.
Budget public hearings and meetings
Thursday, Oct. 9 Public
hearing for health budget from 9:30 a.m. to noon
Tuesday, Oct. 14 Public hearing on Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority levy and budge tbeginning at 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 21 Public
hearing for operations and library budget from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 23 Public
hearing for the county’s 2014-2018 capital improvements budget at 9:30 a.m. Public
hearing on proposed changes to fees for county services at 10 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 27 Public
hearing on public works budget from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 4
Public hearing on Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy and
budget beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 13 Public
hearing on human services and public health budget from 10 a.m. to noon
Friday, Nov. 14 Public
hearing on public safety budget from 10 a.m. to noon
Tuesday, Dec. 2 Public
meeting on the proposed budget and levies at 6 p.m. (Truth in Taxation meeting)
Tuesday, Dec. 16 The final
county, Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Hennepin County
Regional Railroad Authority budgets and tax levies will be adopted beginning at 1:30 p.m.
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Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.
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