While most local property tax rates in Sherburne County dropped in 2015, a report just released by the county auditor/treasurer’s department shows proposed rates in 2016 are all across the board.

 

Some cities and townships saw an increase in taxable market values, which tends to lower the tax rates.

 

Some homes in certain school districts were affected by school levy referendums, which if passed, increased their taxes. Other school levies dropped.

 

And some jurisdictions increased their levy for a number of reasons, like hiring new staff or capital improvement projects.

 

The City of Clear Lake continues to have the highest tax rate in the county, even though it is expected to drop in 2016 from 83.549% to 82.421%.

 

The second highest rate is in Princeton, which will see an increase from 74.758% to 76.367%.

 

The City of Big Lake is expected to have a slight increase in its rate from 57.518% to 58.464%.

 

The City of Becker had the lowest tax rate of any city in the county this year, and will in 2016, even with a modest hike from 34.230% to 35.700%.

 

In the three remaining cities, Elk River will drop its rate from 47.190% to 46.606%.

 

East St. Cloud’s rate increases slightly from 47.582% to 47.594% and Zimmerman has a big hike from 45.044% to 52.040%.

 

Livonia Township lowered its tax rate from 29.511% to 27.091%, but that’s still the highest rate among the 10 townships.

 

Orrock Twp., which had the lowest rate in 2015, saw the biggest increase, from 15.283% to 25.912%. Big Lake Twp. increased its rate from 16.058% to 18.985%.

 

Becker Twp. lowered its rate from 19.514% to 18.935%.

 

Clear Lake Twp. saw a slight decrease, from 21.825% to 21.341%.

 

Santiago Twp. decreased its rate from 23.514% to 22.409%.

 

Baldwin Twp’s. rate dropped from 21.184% to 19.746%.

 

 

Palmer Twp. hiked its rate slightly from 17.323% to 17.429% and Blue Hill’s rate went from 16.440% 17.958%.

 

Of seven school districts in Sherburne County, five lowered their rates. Dist. 51 (Foley) dropped from 61.146% to 57.726%. Dist. 727 (Big Lake) went from 42.136% to 41.283%. Dist. 728 (Elk River) decreased from 42.483% to 39.233%. Dist. 742 (St. Cloud) dropped from 24.281% to 23.671%. Dist. 882 (Monticello) saw the biggest decrease, from 22.882% to 14.987%.

 

Dist 477 (Princeton) hiked its rate from 33.306% to 36.022% and Dist. 726 (Becker) increased its rate from 23.465% to 25.061%.

 

Sherburne County’s rate will fall from 51.979% to 50.522%. And the Regional Rail Authority’s rate goes from  2.026% to 1.908%.

 

All the above 2016 tax rates are based on each jurisdiction’s preliminary levy. Some will change as cities and townships continue to work to reduce their final levy.