Not that I go out of my way to listen to Ron Rosenbaum on the radio, but I've heard him refer to Mineapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak as "the boy mayor" many times, and for good reason. You know the type, that whine and thrash about when they don't get all the free money they want for their pet programs, threatening to lay off police instead. We are seeing similar tantrums in St. Paul, for example by those who would blame anyone but the only person responsible for the upcoming budget shutdown. Or those who think a record proposed State budget forces local units of government to raise property taxes.
Fortunately for this taxpayer, the District 281 schools (Robbinsdale area) are run by adults. The budget they will formally adopt next week for the fiscal year beginning July 1 reflects a net 1.1 percent increase. It includes over $2 million in savings, much of it identified by several internal committees convened proactively to seek out such opportunities. It's also an honest budget, including some reserves against what the Governor could have signed and continued remodeling of facilities. Though I might have missed it, I saw or heard nothing about a property tax increase to go with it. (Note: this isn't the place to again address the need for education reform, which only the Legislature can enact.)
As a member of my city's Financial Advisory Commission that helps the Brooklyn Center City Council assemble our budget each fall, I can predict, yes, we could well be raising taxes again this year. As in prior years, that will reflect the realities of the housing bust and the recession being extended by foolish national policies, not how much Local Government Aid (LGA) we receive. We more or less do zero base budgeting every year. Our financials and audits speak for themselves. How ironic that one who helped develop this fiscal discipline when she served on the Council is now a spendthrift as our House Representative at the Legislature.
I have no idea what Hennepin County will do, adult leadership repeatedly having been shown to be in short supply on its Board of Commissioners. Whatever budget they do adopt, it will be too large and complex to support any claim of forced tax increases in response to whatever is finally adopted.
Your results may vary, but I can comfortably state that the $34 billion Republican budget won't significantly raise my property taxes. Neither would the Governor's proposed $37+ billion budget significantly lower them.
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