The Ramsey County Board on Tuesday ratified the overall maximum joint property tax levy, which will increase 4 percent over 2008.

It's the average of the combined maximum levies approved by the county, city of St. Paul and St. Paul public schools. It can be lowered but cannot grow.

The city and school district have yet to approve the overall number but are expected to ratify it soon.

As it gets closer to the time when Truth in Taxation notices go out to homeowners, officials are getting a better picture of how tax bills are shaping up for 2009.

In St. Paul, homeowners will find that the number 4.6 will be important in 2009. That's because citywide, median-priced homes fell 4.6 percent in value, from $191,900 in 2008 to $183,000 in 2009.

If a homeowner's taxable market value has decreased less than 4.6 percent, then the tax bill will probably go up, according to county figures. If the decrease is more than 4.6 percent, the tax bill will probably go down.

People who own that $183,000 median-value home will likely see no change in their tax bill.

An owner of a median-priced home in the Payne/Phalen neighborhood -- $154,500, an 8.7 percent decrease from 2008 -- will probably pay $91 less compared with the prior year.

An owner of a median-priced home in St. Anthony Park -- $280,350, less than half of a percent decrease from 2008 -- will probably pay $158 more.

Truth in Taxation notices will be mailed in mid-November. The joint public Truth in Taxation hearings for Ramsey County, St. Paul and St. Paul public schools will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at Arlington High School in St. Paul.

Also Tuesday, the board approved more than $2.3 million in grants from the Metropolitan Council for various park projects.

• Tamarack Nature Center: $745,000 for construction of a nature play area, garden and pavilion

• Bald Eagle-Otter Lake Regional Park and Rice Creek North Regional Trail: $50,000 for prairie restoration

• Keller Regional Park: $1.4 million for construction of three picnic shelters

• Rice Creek North Regional Trail: $145,000 for trail construction costs

Chris Havens • 651-298-1542