By Dave Peters, Minnesota Public Radio News

Under the pressure of declining state aid, a tough economy and difficult choices about what to pay for, Minnesota’s cities, schools and counties raised the burden on property taxpayers in 2012 by more than $300 million.

As a result, the tax bill for property owners is rising by 4.7 percent to a total of $8.2 billion, according to the state Department of Revenue.

Many local officials did react to taxpayer unhappiness over early tax estimates by trimming their levies back by year’s end. But in November, voters in some communities decided to approve higher school levies.

After local officials were forced to choose between raising property tax levies, cutting services or holding their tax levies flat, 50 of Minnesota’s 87 counties raised their property tax levies. So did 465 of the state’s 854 cities and 191 of the state’s 336 school districts.

 

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