ANOKA, Minn. – (Oct. 11, 2018) – Facing rising costs related to public safety and employees, the Anoka County Board Tuesday approved a preliminary property tax levy increase of 4.94 percent.
“This county board has been very careful about expenditures over the years,” said Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah, chair, Anoka County Board. “While this proposed increase is a larger amount than any of us would like to see, if you look at levy impact over time, the percentage is quite modest.” Over the past eight years, the average increase amounts to 1.01 percent.
The 2019 budget is also impacted by a 9.9 percent jump in employee health insurance premiums. “We are certainly not unique in facing rising health insurance premiums,” Sivarajah said. “Employers everywhere — public and private — are dealing with these significant increases. It is a cost of doing business and necessary to attract and retain quality workers.”
The county is facing increased costs related to housing inmates — it is boarding inmates in other counties’ jails due to lack of space at its jail facility. Also, on the public safety side, there are overtime costs, and the budget has been increased to ensure the best and brightest are working for the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and the county’s 911 Center.
The County Board will vote to adopt the final levy in December. The levy can be decreased before that time, but it cannot be increased. To learn more about the county budget and property tax levy, you can attend the “Truth in Taxation” meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in Room No. 705 of the Anoka County Government Center, 2100 3rd Ave., Anoka.
