How Do Lakeville Taxes Compare to Other Cities in Minnesota?

Original story by James Warden

Lakeville residents will see their taxes grow next year, and the increase could be more than the average in the state, according to a Tuesday Minnesota Department of Revenue release of preliminary property tax levies.

State law requires local governments to set a preliminary levy by Sept. 15. After citizens have had an opportunity to learn about proposed tax levels at Truth-in-Taxation hearings, the governments must then set a final levy by Dec. 27. The final levy can be lower than the preliminary levy, but it can’t be higher.

(School district figures include voter-approved referenda.)

The preliminary levy in the City of Lakeville is set to grow by 3.92 percent—a little more than the 2.1 percent growth for cities across the state as a whole. 

Unlike the city levies, most school district taxes are scheduled to increase faster than the state as a whole. Lakeville levies will rise 13.51 percent compared to the overall state increase of 2.6 percent. Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan levies are on track to climb by 6.19 percent.

School levies were initially set to decrease by $59 million statewide. But that changed last week when voters approved $119 million in new and renewed referenda, resulting in a $60 million increase.

Lakeville voters approved a referendum for a $5.6 million levy. Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan voters approved a referendum to revoke the district’s current $20 million levy and replace it with a new $30 million levy. 

Meanwhile, Dakota County’s levy is on track to drop 0.5 percent compared to the 1.5 percent increase for the state as a whole.

The graphs above show the percentage changes for city, school district and county levies across the state. Compare your taxes to nearby areas or click on “Percent Change” to sort by the size of the increase. Then tell us in the comments section below how you feel about your taxes.