Ramsey County commissioners on Tuesday approved the second year of the county's 2014-15 biennial budget with no change in the property tax levy for the second year in a row.
The $615.3 million budget includes about $11.8 million more in spending next year. New revenues to cover the additional spending come from program and user fees, and intergovernmental aid from the state and federal governments.
A little more than half of Ramsey's budget is paid with intergovernmental aid and service-fee charges and fines, with the balance covered by property taxes. The 2015 tax levy will collect $276.5 million from county taxpayers.
Unlike most counties, Ramsey County plans its budget every two years. The biennial budget it approved last year increased spending in both 2014 and 2015 but paid for it with increased state and federal aid and department revenues rather than increased property tax collections.
Tuesday's vote guarantees that, for the first time in more than 20 years, Ramsey County taxpayers will go two straight years without an increase in the county's property tax levy. Individual tax bills may go up regardless because of the state tax formula, market value shifts and tax decisions by other jurisdictions.
Ramsey County is the only one in the metro area to propose no change in the property tax levy for next year.
The board also approved last-minute contingency funding of $900,000 for the Sheriff's Office, mostly due to overtime payments.
