WILLMAR -- Changes in property values and in state law are driving the increase in property taxes for the Willmar School District.
The district's share of local property taxes is expected to increase about 9.3 percent for the property taxes paid in 2007. The changes in the school tax levy were detailed Wednesday at the district's annual Truth in Taxation hearing at the Willmar Education and Arts Center.
One member of the public and only two of seven School Board members -- Wayne Lenzmeier and Mike Carlson -- attended the hearing, along with school administrators.
Bob Haines, director of business and finance, provided information about the levy. The board is scheduled to consider adopting the final levy at its Dec. 11 meeting.
The board previously adopted a preliminary levy of $5.65 million, $481,597 more than this year's levy. The levy provides 11.3 percent of the district's annual general fund revenue of about $39 million. About 80 percent comes from the state and federal governments.
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Most of the local property tax levy is determined by the state, Haines said.
Legislation in 2005 increased state aid for schools but also increased local property taxes, he said.
Property values have an impact, too.
"As property values keep going up, the state expects the board to collect more locally," Haines said.
Haines played a 10-minute DVD developed by the statewide associations representing cities, counties and school boards. It called Minnesota's property tax system one of the most complicated in the country and outlined 14 reasons why property taxes go up and down from year to year.
The reasons followed several common themes, including changes in property values, changes in state law and changes in the budgets of local government. Robert Morrill, a Willmar homeowner, came to the meeting to learn more about property taxes and "to find out what's going on."
Morrill and Superintendent Kathy Leedom spoke briefly about property taxes before the meeting, and he followed along as Haines made his presentation.
He had never come to a property tax hearing before, he said, and the questions he'd had were answered in the presentation.
