December 4, 2018
Red Wing Collective Tax Levy and City Budget
As I met with residents this summer one of the things I repeated was working hard for residents to find that balance between keeping Red Wing affordable and planning for the future.
I want to thank you all again for your vote this summer and fall.
I am working hard to do just as I said I would do for you. I did a lot of research and analysis before and during the city council meetings.
I heard concerns about the immediate, the high property taxes and the long term future of Red Wing’s ability to support its residents. Where is that balance? My guess is husbands and wives, parents and children, any two people will not always agree on what’s the right amount of money to have to spend today and what’s the right amount to save for the future.
Had the city council done a 0% increase, because of the valuation increases residents would have still seen an increase. What other council members suggested at the last budget meeting was not brought up last night and I’m not sure why not. I have my suspicions, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment, was Alternate 6, this alternate and the one voted on last night (Alternate 3) was removing over an additional $500,000 from the fund balance and provides only between $12 and $100 relief in property taxes for homes valued between $75,000 to 450,000. I can provide you that table and calculations, if you’d like.
I know that the increases in valuations have meant a significant increase to overall property taxes. I feel it too. Those of you, like me, who are feeling this crunch and are cutting back in many areas to make ends meet, will likely find their energy better spent considering their valuations (which the city does not control, it’s conducted by the county and controlled by the state) and working on property tax refunds, as city staff mentioned. Any relief in relief valuations would help an owner in all areas of property taxes, not just the $12-100 some council members were lightly advocating for. See below for more.
There’s a lot in front of us and I look forward to working hard for you as I have been to make sure you have a strong today and a strong future here too. It’s easy to say “Put money in pockets of residents today,” because it makes me look good today, but when you are here in ten years or your children or grandchildren are living here, in the community you raised them in, and having to pay for my pats on the back in tenfold, then I really haven’t done the job you asked me to do for you the current and future residents of Red Wing.
One final note: The City Council did further reduced the levy and therefore the tax rate since your Proposed Taxes 2019 was mailed.
The amount on that report represents Alternate 1 (11/19/18) as was voted on by all council members in September (9/12/18) and reduced further last night by the four members who voted yes to that reduced levy.
If you are reading the City Council packets you can find those alternates there: I would happily show you that trail of alternates from September to November to last night, December 3.
I’ll repeat one’s options for tax relief here here:
MN Property Tax Refunds: http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/individuals/prop_tax_refund/Pages/File-and-Pay.aspx
Tax Valuations appeal information is on the back of your valuation statement mailed in April 2018, it’s probably green this year, at least mine is. The County Assesor can be found here https://www.co.goodhue.mn.us/Directory.aspx?did=66