Truth in taxation meeting held

Several things were apparent at the Tuesday, December 15 Truth in Taxation meeting held in the county commissioners room at 6 p.m.: Minnesota’s tax laws are confusing and ever changing and Cook County Auditor Braidy Powers and Cook County Assessor Mary Black are staying abreast of the complex mess that comes their way every year at this time.

By law the meeting was open to the public and allowed for discussion between community members and county officers who were on hand to explain 2010 budget requests for their departments.

Auditor Braidy Powers chaired the meeting, beginning by saying that the county is the agent for the collection of all property taxes in Cook County. The county collects property taxes for Cook County Schools, the City of Grand Marais, the Towns of Lutsen, Tofte and Schroeder, the North Shore Hospital, the Economic Development Authority, Tofte/Schroeder Sewer District, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission and Fire Districts.

Powers said that almost fifty percent of all property taxes collected in Cook County are for taxing entities other than Cook County and that since 2002 “the county has collected and remitted state general property taxes imposed on seasonal and commercial properties.”

Earlier in the year Cook County Commissioners set a maximum levy increase of 7.32 percent over 2009’s levy. Aitkin County set their levy at 2.2%; Carlton’s was set at 4.1%; Lake at 6.7%; Koochiching 3%; Pine 0 and St. Louis 1.33%. Cook County Commissioners won’t necessarily set the levy that high, however. They will meet Tuesday, December 22 to decide how high or how low to set the 2010 levy and establish the 2010 budget.

Current department requests total $6,035,189 for fiscal year 2010, an increase of $411,560 over last year’s budget.

Cook County Assessor Mary Black said that her department of three people (she’s one of the three) has set a goal of reviewing 1,200 parcels a year. “A lot of these properties haven’t been reviewed in a very long time,” said Black. These reviews will ensure more parity in tax bills. As one gentleman stated, “I have 300 feet on Gunflint Lake. My neighbor has 600 feet of shoreline. I pay more in taxes than he does. I don’t mind paying my fair share, but…”

“These reviews will help correct that,” said Black.

Assessors, said Black, use historical sales in order to estimate each property’s market value by the assessment date of Jan. 2 of each year. The assessor also classifies the property according to its use on Jan 2.

Commissioner Bob Fenwick said the new changes made by the legislators are so complicated that, “I don’t think even they can explain them.”

Black noted, “When the legislators make a change that will help people in one area, it usually has adverse effect on another area.”

And Powers stated, “The formula for calculating the taxes used by the state is so complicated that we can’t even run a model to give us an idea of how it [new changes] will affect us.”