By Dana Kazel
The St. Louis County Board will hold two public meetings to receive comments on its proposed operating budget and tax levy for 2025.
The first meeting is Monday, November 18, at 7 p.m. in the St. Louis County Courthouse in Virginia, lower-level conference room.
The second meeting will be Monday, November 25, at 7 p.m. at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth. The November 25 meeting will also be live-streamed on the County's Facebook page for people to watch virtually.
Both meetings will include a presentation about the budget and levy, and an opportunity for citizens to address the Board with questions or comments.
Staff from the Assessor’s Department and Auditor's Office will be available at both meetings to meet one-on-one with anyone who has questions or concerns specific to their proposed property tax statement. People are reminded they can contact the Assessor’s Department at any time with questions about their property’s classification and valuation by calling 1 (800) 450-9777, or email assrdept@stlouiscountymn.gov.
Meanwhile, questions about property tax statements can be directed to the Auditor's Office by calling (218) 726-2383, or email PropertyTax@stlouiscountymn.gov.
The 2025 budget will total approximately $505.6 million. This would include $180 million collected through the levy, an amount preliminarily approved by the County Board in September. The 2025 levy amount would be a 7.23% increase compared to this year's levy, however significant growth in the county's tax base will help offset the impact of this increase for property owners. A home valued at $400,000 will see an approximately $10 decrease in the county portion of its property taxes compared to a home valued at that amount last year.
Meanwhile, commercial properties experienced less valuation growth overall this year and will likely see minimal impact on their county property taxes.
Citizens unable to participate in either of the public meetings are also welcome to provide input at any County Board meeting, or by contacting commissioners directly. Contact information can be found at stlouiscountymn.gov/countyboard. The Board is scheduled to vote on the final levy and budget at its December 17 meeting.
For more information about the public meetings on the 2025 budget or any other County Board matter, call (218) 726-2450 or visit stlouiscountymn.gov. People also can review historical budget information online at stlouiscountymn.gov/budgetexplorer.
