By Brenda Erdahl
The outlook continues to improve for Maple Lake City taxpayers.
Four more percentage points were removed from the proposed 2024 tax levy on Tuesday, Dec. 5, during the City’s annual Truth in Taxation public hearing. That means what started at a 19% increase (not 26.32% as stated inaccurately in tax statements mailed out by Wright County) proposed in September has reduced to a proposed 5% increase. “That’s a lot better than where we started,” said Councilor John Haack.
Haack insisted at the Nov. 27 budget meeting that the council could do better than 19% and that his ideal number was closer to 5%. After two hours combing through the proposed 2024 budget the council managed to whittle the levy down to a 9% increase by taking some money from reserves. At that time, councilors expressed their hesitation to draw more money from reserves to get that number lower, fearing it would tax the reserves too much and be fiscally irresponsible.
New information about the state of the City’s reserves on Tuesday, however, persuaded the council to reconsider and ultimately lower that levy number even further.
City Administrator Renee Eckerly opened the public hearing by explaining what the hearing was for. Mandated by state law, Truth in Taxation hearings are meant to help the public understand their property taxes, she said. Eckerly went over the proposed 2024 budget and property tax levy and then the public was invited to ask questions. No one stepped forward to speak.