You've heard that old adage about death and taxes being the only thing you can count on? Looks like your 2019 Rochester property taxes are proving at least part of that saying to be a little too true.

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The Minnesota Department of Revenue requires that cities with a population over 500, counties, school districts and a few other Twin Cities metro councils to regularly hold Truth In Taxation meetings, where you can ask questions (and, yes, complain) about your proposed taxes for the next year. Olmsted County and the city Rochester held their meeting Monday night.

And, yeah, you'll want to hold onto your wallet next year, because if you live in the city of Rochester, your taxes are set to increase by about 11.4 percent next year. That's right, a double-digit increase.

According to the city of Rochester's website, the increases break down like this: there's a 13.3% increase in your city taxes; a 9.6% increase in your county taxes; and, of course, a 10.6% in your school district taxes. Do the math, and it comes out to an average property tax increase of 11.4%.

Of course, your actual taxes could be slightly higher or lower. Our proposed tax bill, as mailed out by Olmsted County a few weeks ago, has our taxes going up 12.1% (lucky us!)

Increasing property values across Rochester are apparently to blame-- thanks DMC! Now, I'm not one of those who rail at ANY tax increase, mind you-- I know I have to pay my fair share to enjoy the amenities of living in a modern city. And I know those taxes, like everything else, it seems, are bound to increase.

But when you add in the nearly 6-percent water increases RPU is proposing on top of the 12-percent increase in property taxes, you don't have to be a mathematician to figure out our taxes are going up waaaay faster than our incomes are. I mean, are you set to get a 12-percent raise next year? I'm pretty sure I'm not.

Listen to Curt St. John from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5
and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 103.9 The Doc

 

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