It's likely that Dakota County property owners won't pay for local government's budget crisis—at least when it comes to the County's share of property taxes. Today Dakota County officials recommended a levy of $129.4 million, which would mean taxes on a median-valued home ($206,100) would be a few dollars less next year.
The recommended levy is an increase of 0.8 percent from 2010. Although the recommendation suggests a slight increase in the levy, the County's budget would be cut by 16.6 percent. The large cut is necessary to cover expected revenue losses from state aid and other sources as the state is expected to have a budget shortfall next year of about $6 billion. The cuts include a 5 percent reduction in the County's operating spending for the second year in a row.
While the budget presentation acknowledged that the County would now need to do "less with less," prioritization of services ensures that the cuts will have the least possible impact on residents. The recommended budget would cut 17 positions that are currently filled, while eliminating 43 vacant positions. Dakota County has long had the lowest tax rate in the state and officials said they expect that trend to continue.
