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Metro property tax hikes loom as cities, counties face funding pressure
Property owners across the Twin Cities metro could soon be paying significantly more in property taxes, and even then, some services may still get cut. Nearly two dozen metro cities and counties are considering higher-than-average property tax increases, with proposals ranging from 2.9% in Eden Prairie to as high as 21% in Dakota County. FOX 9's Emily Pofahl has the story.
ROGERS, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Rogers, Minnesota, City Council approved a proposed preliminary tax levy on Tuesday that would increase the city’s levy by 19.28% in 2027.
Rogers faces large property tax hike
What we know:
The Rogers City Council approved a preliminary tax levy of 19.28% for 2027 during its Tuesday night meeting.
Council members stressed the figure is preliminary and could change before they set the final number.
Big picture view:
During the meeting, council members acknowledged they had "a lot of work to do" before the final levy is set in December.
The preliminary number is required to be set in September for Hennepin County and is the number that will be sent out to residents in "truth-in-taxation" notices in November.
What they're saying:
"I mean, we're not excited about this either," said Mayor Shannon Klick. "But I will say there's some things that we have kicked the can down the road too far, and now we have to do, and that's part of the reason."
Council members pointed to the fact that the growing city for years faced only small tax increases.
"Years of 2% increase are catching up, and they're catching up at a bad time after COVID," added a council member.
The backstory:
Rogers is not alone when it comes to large property tax hikes this year.
Many other cities are facing double-digit increases.
Here's a look at some preliminary numbers that have been discussed by councils in recent weeks:
- Carver was originally facing 18.92% but has since lowered it 16.84%
- Crystal: 12.60%
- White Bear Lake: 12.23%
- Wayzata: 11.53%
- Shoreview: 10.71%
‘Kicking the can down the road’
Local perspective:
In a presentation Tuesday night, city staff blamed a number of factors for the massive increase, including inflation, personnel cost increases, and fund balance use during the 2026 budget process.
In 2026, the city was facing a 14% tax levy increase during its preliminary stage. The city brought that number down, at least in part, by tapping into their fund balance.
The 2026 increase ended up being 9.8%.
Council members also noted the city has long put off expensive projects, like building a city hall and civic campus, which is currently underway. Council members pointed out the city hall has been "squatting" in the city's public works building for 21 years.
What's next:
The council plans to vote on the final levy during its December 8 meeting. Council members expressed a desire to find ways to cut down the increase before then.
What we don't know:
However, it's not quite clear how the city will find savings or how much of a savings the city can squeeze out.
The Source: FOX 9 reporting from the Rogers City Council meeting on Sept. 8, 2026.