 Dear Neighbors,
As the Vice Chair of the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, it was my honor to provide remarks at the historic grand opening of the Gold Line! We celebrated the launch of Minnesota's first BRT (bus rapid transit) that travels primarily on a guided transit way.
I’m proud to stand alongside and on the shoulders of so many who made this vision a reality. Thank you to Ramsey and Washington Counties, state and city leaders, Metro Transit, Met Council, MNDOT, the FTA, laborers, transit and equity advocacy groups, and all staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. Most importantly, thank you to residents and businesses for your patience throughout the construction of this transformative project.
For East Metro families like mine and yours, the Gold Line means access to more opportunity, jobs, schools, healthcare, and everyday needs. With over 93,500 jobs connected and new developments already underway, we are building equity and economic growth across Saint Paul, Woodbury, and beyond. Learn more about the Gold Line and new stations here.
With that said, have a golden Spring Break!
Mai Chong Xiong
Ramsey County has sent out the 2025 property tax statements. If you haven't already received yours, expect it in your mailbox by early next week. Nearly 300,000 statements were mailed, and about 19,000 more were sent electronically. You can also view your property tax info anytime at ramseycounty.us/property.
What to Expect This Year
Most homeowners will see their property taxes go up in 2025. This is due to two main factors:
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Home Values Went Up: On average, home values in Ramsey County increased by about 4% last year.
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Local Government Budget Increases (Levy Increases):
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Ramsey County’s portion went up 4.7%.
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Cities and towns raised theirs by 7.5% on average.
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School districts increased by 6.5%.
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Special taxing districts (like watershed or transit authorities) went up about 4.2%.
Levy Increases Across Government Units Specific to Saint Paul
Note that, additionally, Saint Paul is seeing above-average property tax increases due to rising city budget needs, a high number of tax-exempt properties, falling commercial property values, and a slower-growing tax base.
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City of Saint Paul: 5.9% increase in its share of the tax levy.
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Ramsey County: 4.7% increase.
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Saint Paul School District (ISD 625): 6.2% increase in the net tax levy and 11.3% increase in market value-based levies.
Need Help or Have Questions?
Here are some resources that may help:
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Homestead Applications (due by Dec. 31, 2025): These may lower your taxes.
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State Refunds: You may qualify for a refund based on income or if your taxes increased more than 12% and at least $100.
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Senior Deferral Program: Homeowners 65+ may qualify to defer part of their taxes.
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Appeals: If you disagree with your home value or classification, you can appeal through the Minnesota Tax Court by April 30, 2025.
Visit revenue.state.mn.us/property-tax-refund or call 651-296-3781 to learn more.
 I had the honor of attending the 2025 Minnesota Iftar Dinner Celebration and the East Side Iftar Dinner alongside fellow lawmakers, policymakers, community leaders, and faith leaders from across the state.
Breaking bread together at sunset during Ramadan is a powerful reminder of the values that bind us: community, compassion, and understanding. I’m grateful to our local faith leaders on the East Side, the Minnesota Institute of Horn of Africa Studies (MNIHAS), the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, the University of Augsburg Interfaith Institute, and the Islamic Association of North America (IANA) for bringing us together to celebrate this sacred time and deepen interfaith and intercultural connections.
From conversations about community resilience to the shared stories of Somali and East African diaspora, the evening was a beautiful example of what unity in diversity truly looks like.
Ramadan Mubarak to all who are observing. May this season continue to bring peace, reflection, and renewed connection.
Over the past year, Ramsey County has experienced a sharp increase in demand for MnCHOICES assessments and related case management services. While our current staff has worked diligently to keep up, often taking on expanded caseloads, the volume of assessments, both initial and ongoing, has outpaced our capacity. This has led to a growing backlog and longer wait times for residents who are seeking access to critical services. In response, the County is hiring 80 additional full-time staff to help address the backlog, meet statutory requirements, and ensure residents receive timely assessments and support. Below is more context to help explain the scope of this challenge and the rationale behind this staffing decision.
I've heard from a number of constituents with questions about recent media coverage of the new staff positions. I’d like to share some key points to help clarify why these hires are necessary.
- Assessment Complexity: Some cases require additional documentation from other agencies, such as a Determination of Disability from the State, follow-ups, or coordination with other agencies, which may extend processing time.
- Ongoing Workload: Assessors must also conduct annual reassessments, which are taking longer now due to state changes, in addition to new requests for assessments.
- State-Mandated Timelines: Minnesota law requires assessments to be completed within 20 working days, to any person regardless of public program eligibility, which means assessors must balance backlog reduction with incoming requests.
- The additional 80 FTEs, including 61 assessors, will help not only clear the backlog but also maintain compliance with statutory requirements and prevent future delays.
Additionally,
- Scale of the Need: In 2024, our division served more than 12,600 residents through our case management services. In 2023, 17,380 MnCHOICES assessments needed to be assigned. 4,000 of these were completed through contracted public health agencies, leaving over 13,000 for our internal assessors.
- Staff Capacity: Our current assessors are already working full-time to complete assessments. In fact, their caseloads were increased in December 2024 in response to growing demand. However, the number of assessments required monthly still exceeds our current staffing capacity, especially for initial assessments. Most of our staff have now been reassigned to focus on annual reassessments to ensure that those already receiving services don’t lose them—leaving a significant gap in our ability to complete initial assessments that has grown quickly in recent months.
- Backlog Growth: The backlog of approximately 2,000 residents awaiting initial assessment has grown quickly due to this necessary shift in staffing focus. Hiring additional staff, including assessors, case managers, and support for new state-mandated programs such as Community First Services and Supports, is a critical step to meeting current and future demand.
- Efficiency Measures and Oversight: We are constantly seeking operational efficiencies. However, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) requires us to use specific systems and follow strict policy guidelines. Independent reviews by DHS and the Public Consulting Group have both confirmed that we need more assessors because of the growing need across the state.
- Cost Recovery: Importantly, Ramsey County will be reimbursed for approximately 82% of the costs associated with these new hires, through a federal time study process. This is not reflected clearly in the article.
For a deeper dive into the data and decision-making behind these efforts, I encourage you to view the County Board’s presentation from March 11, which begins around the 29:50 mark: View Presentation.
The Critical Corridors Planning and Commercial Corridor Initiative solicitations will open on Tuesday, March 4th, and close at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 1st, 2025.
The Critical Corridors Planning program assists local communities in preparing for equitable redevelopment and public improvements along transit, economic, and cultural corridors. This program aims to facilitate pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access to connect residents to housing, jobs, and destinations while furthering environmental, public health, racial equity, and economic prosperity goals.
Cities, housing authorities, economic development authorities, port authorities, watershed districts, and community-based nonprofit organizations in Ramsey County may apply.
Applicants may request a grant of up to $50,000 in funding. Activities funded by this program must be completed by June 30, 2026.
Learn more at: https://www.ramseycounty.us/businesses/property-development/property-development-programs-incentives/critical-corridors-programs
Find out if your project is within a critical corridor zone: http://ramseygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d805105c828349f3aa2d466af5028963
View the online webinar: https://youtu.be/nI9VLZDcNGs
Ramsey County has opened Advisory Board and Committee applications and will start recruiting for applicants. Ramsey County offers residents the opportunity to engage in local governance through various advisory boards and committees. These groups provide guidance on policy decisions, program development, and community initiatives.
Community Health Services Advisory Board – 13 vacancies
Parks and Recreation Commission – 5 vacancies
Personnel Review Board – 1 vacancy
Ramsey County Charter Commission – 1 vacancy for reach of the following districts: District 2, District 4, District 6, and District 7.
Note that District 6 (East Side of Saint Paul) has a vacancy to serve on the Ramsey County Charter Commission!
Applications will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Apply here (or request a paper form).
4th Annual CERT Connect Open House
 The Central Certification Program (CERT) was created to promote market growth and increase the competitiveness of qualified small businesses. CERT makes it easier for participating businesses to access jobs and contracts available with participating counties and cities by providing a centralized certification process.
CERT is a collaboration of Hennepin County, Ramsey County, the city of Minneapolis and the city of Saint Paul.
A CERT Small Business Enterprise (SBE) is a for-profit, independently owned firm, corporation or establishment, with a small number of employees, small amount of assets, low sales volume and limited impact on the market, that has received SBE certification through an application process administered by the CERT lead agency.
Small businesses are invited to attend the 4th Annual CERT Connect Open House event on Thursday, April 10th.
Time: 8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Ramsey County Public Works Building
1425 Paul Kirkwold Drive Arden Hills, MN 55112
Register today!
Commissioner Xiong to Join SECO Housing Forum with Councilmember Johnson
 Councilmember Johnson and I will meet with the public to discuss County and City HRA funding and initiatives. I will share more information on the use of Local Affordable Housing Aid that we are using to greatly expand the creation and maintenance of more deeply affordable housing, and Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson will discuss tenant protections.
- Date: Monday, April 14th
- Time: 6PM to 7:30PM
- Location: 2105 1/2 Old Hudson Road, Saint Paul, MN 55119
This event is for both homeowners and renters. Light dinner will be provided and SECO will have a drawing for three $50 gift cards! Check SECO's Housing Committee for more info.
Metro HRA Housing Choice Voucher waitlist opening in April 2025
Metro HRA is hosting a lottery to join the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waitlist. Applications will be available online from 9 a.m., Wednesday, April 9 through noon Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Applicants can use any computer, tablet, or smartphone to apply, including free computers at public libraries and community sites throughout the metro area.
Metro HRA will also host an information session for service providers and community partners on Wednesday, March 26 at 1:00pm on Zoom. Register here for the Zoom information session.
More information on the waitlist application & lottery process is available on Metro HRA’s website. You can also reach us at WaitList@metc.state.mn.us or 651-602-1428 for any questions related to the process or accommodations an applicant may need, including language translation services.
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