by Mike Knaak
editor@thenewsleaders.com
The Sartell-St. Stephen school board approved the district’s levy for taxes payable in 2019 following its truth in taxation hearing Dec. 17.
The levy totals $10,194,085.83, an increase 4.08 percent. The vote was unanimous.
For the owner of a $250,000 with no change in assessed value, the tax will be $1,425, a drop of 1.86 percent from this year’s school tax bill.
For a home that was assessed at $250,000 for taxes paid in 2017 but increased to $280,900 for taxes payable in 2019, the homeowner will pay $1,622 in 2019, an increase of 4.71 percent from the previous year. Those changes reflect an annual home value increase of 6 percent.
A taxpayer’s home value is the biggest factor in determining the tax bill. If the home value remains the same, the school portion of the property tax goes down. If the home value rises, the tax goes up.
