How Do Richfield's Taxes Compare to The Rest of The State?

Written by James Warden

Richfield residents will see their taxes grow next year, but the increase won’t be as big as those facing taxpayers in other communities, according to a Tuesday Minnesota Department of Revenue release of preliminary property tax levies.

State law requires local governments to set a preliminary levy by Sept. 15. After citizens have had an opportunity to learn about proposed tax levels at Truth-in-Taxation hearings, the governments must then set a final levy by Dec. 27. The final levy can be lower than the preliminary levy, but it can’t be higher.

(School district figures include voter-approved referenda.)

The City of Richfield levy is set to grow by 1.51 percent—about a half point less than the 2.1 percent growth for cities across the state as a whole.

Unlike the city levy, the Richfield school district taxes are scheduled to increase a bit faster than the state as a whole. The district’s levies are on track to climb by 5.62 percent compared to the overall state increase of 2.6 percent.

School levies were initially set to decrease by $59 million statewide. But that changed last week when voters approved $119 million in new and renewed referenda, resulting in a $60 million increase.

Richfield was one of those districts that approved a new levy. It renewed the existing technology levy with an increase, which will increase property taxes by about $65 a year on the average home.

Hennepin County, on the other hand, is on track to fall below the statewide increase—0.98 percent compared to 1.5 percent.

The graphs above show the percentage changes for city, school district and county levies across the state. Compare your taxes to nearby areas or click on “Percent Change” to sort by the size of the increase. Then tell us in the comments section below how you feel about your taxes.

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