It is my understanding that much of this change (INCREASE) is because of the property tax law changes made at the legislature. They (and I hold both the house and senate responsible) significantly reduced property taxes on commercial/industrial property. They also said they reduced property taxes on rental residential property. The same property tax funds have to be supplied somehow. This means that homeowners pay more--much more. It also turned out, at least for us, that there was NO reduction in the tax we pay on the duplex we own next door--the taxes on that property went up to. So, if I'm right, don't blame the city--blame the legislature that has been bought by the business interests.
I'm not 100% sure of all the details above and would love to hear from a legislator or city tax specialist. Sheldon Mains Seward Minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED] JIM GRAHAM wrote: I do not know about the rest of Minneapolis, but our actual property taxes rose by an average of 22 1/2% on my and my wife's houses. How can this possibly be possible or rationale while City "Leaders" are telling us we are going to have to tighten our belts for the budget shortfall ahead. And please, please, do not tell us it is because of the Republicans. As a lifelong Democrat I am absolutely insulted by such rhetoric. Remember folks this IS NOT the 8% additional increase the politicians have promised for next year. Inflation is going crazy in this City, and it IS NOT because of Republicans, it is because of our own elected Democratic and Green Party "Leaders". Dennis Schulstad has been gone for a long time, and I don't remember the Republican before him. I have a good memory, but I think it has been thirty years. Wasn't Jens Christensen voted out in 1972? The hardest hit part of the population will be the poor renter, who these tax increases will be passed along to. How can our politicians even pretend to be concerned with "Poor People" and "Affordable Housing" when they put such a burden on the poor? This tax increase does more to increase a poor persons cost of housing than anything I have seen. Responsible Rental Property Owners are on such a small margin that this tax increase must be passed directly to the renter. Renters, the working poor, and the poorest members of this City toil under the burden of such tax increases. Remember renters; the poor management downtown directly affects what YOU pay for rent. We need to have a referendum to put a ceiling on property taxes so that they "SHALL NOT RAISE MORE THAN THE CST OF LIVING INDEX WITHOUT A REFERENDUM OF PUBLIC APPROVAL. The only way we can stop our elected politicians from their addiction to spending or giving away our money is to create procedural roadblocks in the form of actual laws. Minneapolis is a public corporation chartered by the State of Minnesota; perhaps we need a State Law requiring the City and County Officials to act in a proper "Fiduciary" manner when dealing with a public trust. I also ask the Feds to do the same with corporations like Enron. There is a public trust that not only Corporate CEOs are violating. Which large public giveaways should we cut next, how about all of them? How about requiring a referendum for any corporate subsidy (read Grant) of over $500,000. I know that this is a lot of money to us little people, but you can't expect Mayor and City Council to go "Cold Turkey" after so many years of offending. How will they raise funds for guaranteeing the incumbent will stay in office if you can't pay your "friends" with a few million of taxpayer dollars? And what about those Multi-unit housing developers and large "Non-Profit" developers who we want to subsidize to build affordable housing? You don't think the Brightons, Shermans, and the Project for Pride in Livings should have to compete with "Real" Developers in the "Real World", do you? How would you ever get "Target" downtown if you didn't give them those millions? You would have to settle for Opus, who wants to make money without public subsidy, what a disgusting idea. Without a few million how are you ever going to get CUB forced into NorthEast and on Lake Street? Why you would have to resort to people like the 60th Street CUB who spend their own money. Now I ask you, how is a politician going to ask for a "Political" contribution from someone like that? Isn't it "New Urbanism" and "Smart Growth" to suck public dollars to build something the public doesn't want? Yes folks, we have to demand that our politicians spend money in a responsible manner, and take their fiduciary responsibility more seriously. So I am calling for a referendum. Do we need the State Legislature to act in order to do such a referendum? Could Brian Melendez, Lisa McDonald, or Dee Long help us out with this question? What are the proper procedures and laws governing forcing such a referendum? Come on Brian, you or one of the List's many lawyers or politicians must know. Jim Graham, Ventura Village - and in even more of a "State" of depression after opening my tax statements for Minneapolis >>"The rarest of gems, with the greatest clarity, >>and with the greatest brilliance, is not the diamond. >>The rarest of all gems is the truth. >>Yet as scarce as truth is, the supply has always far >>exceeded any demand for it. In fact it may well be the >>lest desirable commodity in the Universe. >>Ask any politician." - Master Toe _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
