St. Paul school board OKs increasing property tax levy

St. Paul school board OKs 3.9% increase for schools portion of property tax levy.

Last update: September 24, 2008 - 12:06 AM

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2009 Ramsey County, St. Paul, St. Paul school district taxes According to estimates, if your house has a taxable value of: • $152,250, you will pay $1,621, a 28.9 percent increase from last year. • $180,600, you will pay $1,991, a 3.9 percent decrease from last year. • $280,350, you will pay $3,298, a 5 percent increase from last year. • $378,500, you will pay $4,582, a 4.9 percent increase from last year.

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The St. Paul school board approved the maximum property tax levy for the 2009-10 school year on Tuesday in the amount of $107 million, a 3.9% increase from 2008-09.

In a presentation to the school board Tuesday night, chief business officer Lois Rockney cited four reasons for the increase in the levy:

• The school district's voter-approved levy authority includes an annual inflation increase.

• School district property values increased, driven by an increase in commercial properties in the district.

• A change in state law provides additional revenue for Early Childhood Family Education programs.

• The district's debt is increasing, which means there will be an increase in principal and interest payments for debt.

The amount approved by the school district can be lowered, but it can't grow. Both the St. Paul City Council and the Ramsey County Board have also approved their maximum property tax levies for 2009 earlier this month.

Many St. Paul homeowners will see a decrease in their property taxes for the year, because of declining residential property values. The median home value for 2008 was $191,900, but that has decreased to an estimated $183,000 for the 2009 year.

But commercial property owners probably will see an increase.

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.

EMILY JOHNS