Market values for residential properties across Sherburne County continued to increase in 2015.

 

That means lower tax rates this year.

 

A report released this month by the Sherburne County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office shows almost every municipality and township have overall lower tax rates in 2015. That number includes the local taxes, county taxes, the Regional Rail Authority levy, school levies, fire levies and in some cases, economic development and housing and redevelopment levies.

 

The lowest tax rates in the county belong to two sections of Big Lake Twp. Township property owners in the Monticello School District (882) have a tax rate of 92.945%, down from 101.095% last year. Those in the Becker School District (726) will pay a rate of 93.528%, down from 96.999% in 2014.

 

Haven Twp. property owners  will pay a rate of 94.196%, which is down just a bit from 94.378% last year.

 

The highest tax rate in the county is in Princeton at 162.011%, down a bit from 166.623% in 2014.

 

Next is the City of Big Lake in the Big Lake School District (727). Property owners there will be paying 153.868%, which is still lower than last year’s 164.697%.

 

Big Lake Twp. property owners in School Dist. 882 have a rate of 134.710,% and those in a rural service district (RSD) pay 100.726%.

 

The City of Becker saw its tax rate decrease from 116.540 to 112.387%.

 

All four school districts in Becker Twp. will pay lower tax rates in 2015. Dist. 726 dropped from 102.317% to 96.984%, as did Dist. 727, 115.655% (from 124.496%), Dist. 742, 97.800% (from 98.243%) and Dist. 882, 96.401% (from 106.413%).

 

The only tax rate increases come in the St. Cloud School District in Clear Lake Twp., where rates went from 98.950% to 100.111%.

 

East St. Cloud also saw an increase from 125.681% to 130.842%.

 

Tax rates in other areas of the county include Baldwin Twp. 117.672%, down from 131.382%; Blue Hill Twp. 103.751, down from 105.686%; Livonia Twp. 125.999%, down from 138.593%; Orrock Twp. 111.424%, down from 122.377%; Palmer Twp. 94.793%, down from 100.105%; Santiago Twp. 110.825%, down from 113.002%; Clear Lake City 161.828%, down from 161.999%; Elk River 146.431%, down from 159.671% and Zimmerman 141.352%, down from 159.170%.