On Tuesday night the Northfield City Council approved the city’s 2024 budget at approximately $41.3 million, which included a tax levy increase of $15.3 million or about 9%.
City Administrator Ben Martig explained how those numbers could relate to each individual taxpayer.
“So, the typical increase is about $2.00 per month for the average Northfield home, assuming your valuation stays similar to what it is next year, and we are seeing some increases. So, depending on if you’re a Dakota or Rice County resident, you’re somewhere around $170 per month related to the total city taxes. And that pays for parks, police, library services, community development, economic development and all the other things that the city provides.”
The increase in the budget, according to Martig and other city officials, is driven by several factors including inflation, debt service and a phasing in of a parks, equipment and buildings maintenance plan.
The annual Truth in Taxation hearing was held prior to the Council vote, giving the general public the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about their property taxes. While it was only one person who chose to address the council at the meeting, very few people enjoy paying taxes, and inevitably, every member of the City Council and City Staff will hear complaints about taxes going up.
Martig was prepared for those objections on Tuesday night.
Prior to the hearing, he gave a 49-page presentation to the Council and those seated in the gallery about the city’s budget and tax structure. He said compared to most cities of Northfield’s size in Minnesota, the total amount of tax collected is slightly less than average. He also discussed the importance of bringing new commercial/industrial business to Northfield. Using the example of the $700 million Meta Data Center that has been proposed in Rosemount, Martig showed a project like that coming to Northfield would reduce the burden on residential taxpayers to below 2012 levels. The city is committed to improving the commercial/industrial tax base, he said, and progress is being made in that area.
In September, the Council approved the initial tax levy increase at 11.5%. The feedback that was given to the Council was that a third double digit tax increase in four years was too much, and $350,000 was removed from the budget to get the increase below double figures.
Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell said the Council is always trying to balance their responsibilities as stewards of the city with their responsibilities to household budgets within the community.
“We are doing our financial planning and looking long range. We want to make sure that we take good care of the city, and we leave it in better condition than what we found it. However, that also means that we have to do things incrementally rather than doing them all at once.”
The City Council approved the budget and the tax levy by a unanimous vote.
Owatonna High School could be interesting model for Northfield School District
As the Northfield School District continues its campaign to educate its voters and taxpayers about the problems with the Northfield High School facility, a tour of the brand new Owatonna High School has been scheduled for this Saturday.
Owatonna’s high school opened at the beginning of this school year, after being approved in 2019 at an estimated cost of $120 million. The building features many of the design elements the Northfield School District has sought for its buildings and students. There are large open spaces, including a three-story commons area, windows to provide natural light, modern classrooms and shop areas, and security provisions.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the tour is not meant to convince people that Northfield should have exactly what Owatonna has built. He said he just wants people in the Northfield School District to see the possibilities.
“There are so few new high schools built in Minnesota annually, and in fact, even in a decade, there are very few new high schools built. I think it’s important for people in our community to see what a 2023 building looks like. I’m not saying we have to replicate the Owatonna High School or do exactly that same thing, but some of those design elements might come into play in some other ways that we could use to potentially solve the problem.”
The Northfield School Board has identified 22 individual problems with the high school facility, including an antiquated HVAC system that is at the very end of its life, uninsulated walls that would not have been up to even 2010 Minnesota Building Code standards, out-of-date classroom and laboratory areas, and an entry system that makes it very difficult to keep the building secure.
A special work session on Monday night left the very likely impression that the Northfield School District will place a referendum on the November ballot asking the district voters to fund a major renovation of the Northfield High School, if not build a new school altogether. The Owatonna High School tour is one measure the district is taking to help the district voters make an informed decision about whether they will support a large money bond project or not. The district is also offering tours of Northfield High School. The next tour is scheduled for Tuesday night, December 12th from 6-8pm. More tours have been scheduled for January 20th and February 3rd, both from 10am-Noon.
The district has arranged for two school buses to transport those wishing to take the Owatonna tour. They will depart from Northfield High School at Door #1 at 12:15pm this Saturday. Hillmann said those on the tour can expect to return sometime after 4pm.
Warsaw township lot offered below market value
A parcel of tax-forfeited land is once again being made available by Rice County to the highest bidder, but this time with a minimum bid that is lower than the assessed value.
The parcel is approximately ⅔ of an acre in Warsaw Township. It was first up for auction in November but failed to sell.
The sale, which is set for 8:30 am on December 18 at the Rice County Government Services Building, will be governed by Minnesota statute and by the resolution of the Rice County Board of Commissioners.
The parcel will be sold “as is.” Full payment, including fees and a 3% state surcharge, in accordance with terms set forth by the county, is due at the time of the sale.
To tour the property, contact the Rice County Property Tax Department at 507-332-6104. Anyone wanting to view and walk the property must sign a waiver of liability that will be kept on file with Rice County. Waivers can be completed in person at Rice County Property Tax Department or emailed to an individual at their request and returned.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
