7.6 percent levy hike set for ’09
Sarah Day — Staff WriterBLUE EARTH - Faribault County held its Truth-in-Taxation meeting Thursday, an open invitation to the public to discuss budget and property tax changes before they're finalized.
The county's proposed levy increase for 2009 is 7.6 percent.
County Auditor John Thompson noted the overriding factor in the levy hike is the Human Services department. The county has to foot part of the bill for in-home placements and for sex offenders sent to St. Peter. Thompson said the costs have been incurred in the past two years.
"It's money we have to recover," he said. "There's not a lot you can do about it, except hope in-home placements go down."
Thompson noted these expenses tend to be cyclical. A few years ago, they were low. Now they're high.
Thompson also said he is certain the state will reduce Local Government Aid in coming years, if not this year.
Because tax statements are mailed to property owners in the fall, many of them come to Truth-in-Taxation meetings because of property valuation increases.
Three Faribault County residents voiced concerns about property valuations at the Truth-in-Taxation hearing. But in order for residents to ask for a review or reduction in valuations, they must go to a review board in their township or city held in the spring.
Charles Goodnight of Bricelyn asked why his agriculture homestead status has been changed to residential while he is still farming. More than half of his property is wooded acreage. He said his taxes increased from $12 to $236 in one year.
"There's no way there should be a thousand percent change," he said. "There is no way I can pay these taxes on my pension check."
Steve Robbins of the Assessor's office said Goodnight likely didn't fall into the agriculture class the state set for the county. He said property owners need to have 10 tillable acres in production or the land is considered residential. Robbins didn't have access to records Thursday night to address specifics.
Goodnight said he has about 10 acres in production. Still, he didn't understand why his valuation went up because of the wooded areas.
Steier said wooded acreage values have skyrocketed.
"Wooded parcel sales have just gone nuts," she said.
Commissioner Tom Warmka sympathized. Warmka has followed the discussion at the state Legislature over the past year or so.
"I had hopes they would repeal it," Warmka said. "With our (state) deficit of over $5 billion, they need every dollar they can get. You need to be talking to your state representative and senator about it."
Shirley Jelle of Bricelyn said she and her husband own three parcels of land. Two increased by 3.2 percent and 7.4 percent, the third by 53.5 percent.
Robbins told her to come to the Assessor's office during business hours so her specific information can be reviewed.
Dean Johnson of Frost owns two parcels of property near Blue Earth, one in city limits. Both parcels are part of the Conservation Reserve Program, which heavily restricts land uses. Johnson intended the parcels to be used for hunting, and one is. The one within Blue Earth cannot be used for hunting, and also isn't buildable because it is in a flood plain, it's CRP land and it has no value. His increase for that parcel is 96 percent.
Johnson has talked to township boards in the past, and has always been told to go to the county board. So he hadn't bothered with the township meetings this year.
Robbins said that decision was a mistake.
"I think you have a valid reason," he said.
He noted Johnson had specific reasons on why the valuation should not increase by large numbers, while most people who oppose valuations cite the increase itself as the reason.
"We can look at it for next year's, but it's not gonna do anything for this year," Robbins said.
The final county budget and levy will be adopted 11 a.m. Dec. 16.
