NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 16, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Kazel, Communications Manager
218-725-5049 (office) • 218-591-2219 (cell)
County Board schedules two public meetings to get input on budget
The St. Louis County Board will hold two public meetings to receive comments on its 2022 proposed tax levy and operating budget. The first meeting is Monday, November 22, at 7 p.m. in the St. Louis County Courthouse in Virginia, lower level conference room. The second meeting will be Monday, November 29, at 7 p.m. at the St. Louis County Government Services Center in Duluth, in the Lake Superior Room on the second floor. Both meetings will be open for the public to attend in person. The November 29 meeting will also include a live stream option for people to watch and provide comment virtually. A link to join the meeting virtually will be posted at stlouiscountymn.gov.
Both meetings will include a presentation about the budget and levy, and an opportunity for citizens to address the Board with questions or comments.
Staff from the Auditor's Office will be available at both meetings to meet one-on-one with anyone who has questions or concerns specific to their proposed property tax statement. People are reminded they can contact the Auditor's Office any time with questions about their property tax statement by calling (218) 726-2383, extension 2; or email PropertyTax@stlouiscountymn.gov.
The 2022 budget will total approximately $437 million. This would include $156.5 million collected through the levy, an amount preliminarily approved by the County Board in September. The 2022 levy amount would be a 5.94% increase compared to this year's levy, with much of the increase offset by the 4% growth in the county's property tax base. So the actual impact of the levy increase will be less than 2%. As an example, this would mean the owner of a home valued at $200,000 would pay approximately $18 more in property taxes next year.
Citizens unable to participate in either of the public meetings are also welcome to provide input at any County Board meeting, or by contacting commissioners directly. Contact information can be found at stlouiscountymn.gov/countyboard. The Board is scheduled to vote on the final levy and budget at its December 14 meeting.
For more information about the public meetings on the 2022 budget or any other County Board matter, call (218) 726-2450 or visit stlouiscountymn.gov. People also can review historical budget information online at stlouiscountymn.gov/budgetexplorer.
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