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Tax hearings scheduled
If residents want to influence decisions on proposed local budgets and tax increases, the time has come.
Public hearings have been scheduled for residents to give their input on the proposed budgets and tax levies for all three local taxing jurisdictions: Pipestone County, the City of Pipestone and Pipestone Area Schools.
State statutes require these public hearings as part of the Truth-in-Taxation process.
Local jurisdictions have historically reduced their levies statewide after these hearings, according to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. In 2009, the proposed local property tax increase was $476 million statewide, but the final property tax levies were reduced $67 million following the Truth-in-Taxation hearings.
“Taxpayers can further influence local decisions about their property taxes by attending their Truth-in-Taxation hearings,” Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Ward Einess said in a press release.
The Truth-in-Taxation process requires local taxing jurisdictions to follow certain procedures in the adoption of levies and operating budgets.
The preliminary levies were certified by Sept. 15. Those levies may be lowered by the final deadline — Dec. 28 — but cannot be increased.
The county auditor then sent property tax notices to each property owner showing the proposed levies adopted by the different taxing jurisdictions.
Joyce Steinhoff, county auditor, said the letters were sent to property owners on Monday, Nov. 23.
After property owners receive those letters, the public hearings are held to offer opportunities for public input regarding adoption of the final levy and operating budget.
Following is a schedule of the public hearings, as well as a synopsis of the proposed budgets and levies:
•The Minnesota Department of Revenue changed its regulations this year and school districts, including Pipestone Area Schools, are no longer required to hold a special Truth-in-Taxation public hearing.
However, the proposed budget and levy must be introduced at a regularly scheduled school board meeting and the public provided the opportunity to comment. That meeting, according to the new regulations, must occur after Nov. 24 and be held at 6 p.m. Since the school’s regularly scheduled meeting is the third Monday of the month — the 23rd — the PAS school board will end up holding a special meeting anyway, on Nov. 30, at 6 p.m.
“So we save absolutely nothing,” said Jacque Kennedy, business manager.
The PAS school district’s proposed levy increase is 7.19 percent.
•Pipestone County will holds its public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Room at the Pipestone County courthouse. During the meeting, Sharon Hanson, county administrator, will present a 15-20 minute slide show based on the county’s proposed 2010 budget of just over $16 million, with a proposed levy increase of 5.5 percent.
•The City of Pipestone’s public hearing will take place Monday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. during a special meeting of the Pipestone City Council. The council set a preliminary tax levy of $1.47 million, which represents a 15.4 percent increase over last year’s levy.
The city Finance Committee has not convened since the proposed budget and levy increase were adopted, Sept. 8, but Jeff Jones, city administrator, said staff had been working on various aspects of the budget in preparation for a final presentation to the council. At the time of publication, Mayor Laurie Ness had not yet decided if the Finance committee would gather again to take another look at the proposed numbers.
“I was hoping I could bring it (the levy) down,” Ness said.
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