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Dear Editor;

Property tax is on everyone’s lips these days, and for good reason. Homestead owners, particularly in the Lakes districts of Minnesota, are learning what seasonal property owners have long known – Minnesota’s property tax system is broken.

During the recent red hot property tax boom, seasonal property (and lake shore) grew in assessed market valuation faster than any other property type. And because seasonal gets few of the state buy downs and none of the circuit breaker protections homestead property enjoys, seasonal owners are like the canary in the coal mine. We felt the nip of the property tax wringer first, but all owners are now being squeezed.

Some facts:

• Limited Market Value, first begun in 1993, has suppressed taxable values since then. In 2001 the State began to phase out LMV protection. It will expire in 2009 pay 2009.
• Some lakeshore owners could see tax bills triple in a single year. Some seasonal owners have had 120% increased or more in their tax bills this year.
• In 2005 the state, recognizing the taxation without representation injustice, removed seasonal property from local school operating levies. That same year they put cabins on the State General Tax. The money from this tax was to go to education. The following year state accountants raided this fund, and cut local government aid payments. Local school budget crises are due to legislative finagling rather than cabins not paying their fair share.

What Minnesota needs is true property tax reform. There is no longer any connection between this antiquated tax and an owners ability to pay. In the case of seasonal owners there is no connection between the tax and services received. We need reform, not election year rebates.

Sincerely,

 

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