Note to county commissioners and other local officials with taxing authority. It doesn’t help help your constituents feel any less pain over their property tax bills being finalized this month by pointing out that everyone’s raising taxes, not just your unit of government. But that was the best spin they could put on the sticker shock soon coming many taxpayers’ way in the Pioneer Press.
Homeowners and other property owners in the east metro have already seen the proposed hikes on their property tax statements. Elected officials are urging property owners to consider the distinction between the levies imposed by counties and those from their city, school district and other special taxing jurisdictions. Up to a dozen different taxing authorities — including mosquito control districts — contribute to the total payment due at the bottom of a tax statement.
“They’re looking at a tax statement that comes from us, but it includes the city, the school district,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega, who said he, too, has shouldered years of sizable property tax increases.
At the Olmsted County truth-in-taxation hearing, the Post Bulletin noted relentless property valuation increases prompt some to fear they may not be able to keep up for much longer in their homes.
“The increase in property taxes is not sustainable,” said northeast Rochester resident Cecilia Dingledy, who received a property tax estimate with a projected 8% increase for 2025.
Living on a fixed income, she said her Social Security income isn’t matching the tax increases since her home was purchased for $420,000 in 2014. Now, valued at $575,500 for tax purposes, she said she worries the property is actually losing value.
Even a resident who stands to see a reduction in next year’s property taxes expressed concern over his ability to keep his property down the road.
Fellow northwest Rochester resident Jeff Derby saw his estimated taxes for 2025 drop by nearly 7.6%, compared to the $2,034 paid this year, but he also pointed to concerns about his income not matching the rate he pays.
“My salary hasn’t gone up, but my property taxes have gone up about $300 in the four years,” he said, pointing out he earns slightly more than $20 an hour. “I’m being squeezed out of my house.”
Some 22 percent of property owners will see a reduction in Olmsted County’s share of their tax bill. Yet the impact of tax increases by the school district and other units of government will more than offset some residents’ reduction in the county levy.
Much of the estimated $154 reduction in Derby’s 2025 property taxes will be reversed with the inclusion of the recently voter-approved Rochester Public Schools referendum, which is expected to add $99 to $148 to his annual tax bill based on district estimates .
The same estimates could add $542 to $591 to Dingledy’s tax bill, based on the county-estimated value of her home.
There’s still a chance Olmsted and other counties will make minor adjustments after their taxation hearings before finalizing their budgets later this month. But it will take much more than fine tuning to truly address their constituents’ fears and concerns.