2023 levy approved, 2% increase

The Waseca County Board of Commissioners approved a 2% tax levy increase for 2023 after contentious discussion. No members of the public were present for the public hearing. 

After a motion to approve the levy, Commissioner Doug Christopherson countered that he’d like to see the levy increase under 2% as it has been the past two years. Those levy increases, as reported by county administrator Michael Johnson, were 1.92% and 1.95% and together represented less levy growth than any single year for a decade. Christopherson expressed his concern that Waseca County is known to have high tax rates compared to counties of similar size. 

“I believe the budget put together by Johnson and the county is reasonable and efforts to keep taxes down have not had support in the back end,” Commissioner Nelson argued. “The county is blamed unfairly because it sends the bill.” 

Nelson recommended tax payers look at their local school district and city tax rates. 

“The 1.5% and 1% (levy increase) plans are viable options,” Administrator Johnson admitted. “Yes, the effects would be felt.”

Johnson said he would not present a budget option to the board which couldn’t function. He said that based on current inflation, a 2% levy increase translates to a 5-6% cost savings. 

Commissioners Christopherson and Brian Harguth offered no more discussion voting against the levy which was approved 3-2, with Commissioners DeeAnne Malterer, Nelson, and Krause in favor. 

Prior to the vote, Administrator Johnson explained the process of creating the budget. For him, he said, it begins as early as April when he starts hearing requests from department heads. He has meetings with those heads and their departments about their needs as spring turns to summer and throughout those summer months. Minnesota State Statute requires the adoption of a preliminary levy by September 30 each year; the Waseca County Board of Commissioners set that preliminary levy at a 3% increase during their September 20 meeting using data collected by Johnson throughout the year. Once the preliminary levy is set, more detailed budgetary conversations take place and the board has numerous work sessions on the topic.

Johnson then presented the proposed budget and levy. The proposed 2023 final budget amount was $33,217,987, with a levy amount of $17,744,101 or a 2% increase. Johnson also described options which would reduce the levy increase to 1.5% and 1%, with the loss of funds translating into reduced budget for the building account for use on capital infrastructure improvements.

The tax rate paid by residents is based both on the levy amount and their property value. Both residential households and residential homesteads saw a median market value increase of 15% in Waseca County, while commercial and industrial properties saw a change in market value of 0%. Factoring for these values, the median residential household will see an increase of $48.99, the median residential homestead will see an increase of $68.41, and a mid-sized commercial property will see a decrease of $679.83. “A mountain of data goes into those few slides you just saw,” Johnson explained, and said those with questions about that data could contact him at michael.johnson@co.waseca.mn.us for further information.