Dateline Minnesota: Property Taxes to Rise: Property tax relief on Legislative Agenda

Click on the post for the latest from Minnesota. As the budget cycle ends for 2007, congratulations are offered all over, as we did here in Evansville. Then after a brief deep breath to celebrate------the 2008 budget cycle begins.

Just as Minnesota has forseen what the tax rise will be, The Evansville Observer has requested of the city of Evansville what the budget outlook for 2008 is, in light of the fact that we know that the increase of the levy will be x/y, where x is the increase of equalized value from new construction during the 2006 calendar year and y is the equalized value at the beginning of the year.

Given the fact that construction has slowed, it is presumed that the percentage tax increase allowed under the levy limit will be low. How the city will cope with this limit is yet to be seen.

On the school front---as is noted in the article about Minnesota---many school districts in Minnesota have breached the school levy limits by special referendum. Given that Evansville has previously voted down such a breach in the Fund 80 matter over three years ago, and in light of the fact that the approval of the school addition occured by slim margin of victory some 5 years ago, it is hard to see any successful referendum breaching the school levy limit here.

How will it all turn out? What will happen here in Evansville? Stay tuned to The Evansville Observer.