Date: Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 12:03 PM
Subject: INPUT NEEDED: St. Paul's Property Tax Levy
To: <email obscured>
Dear Neighbors:
You may be following the City’s budget discussions about the property tax
levy, and I wanted to reach out to you and hear from you. Last week, four
of my council colleagues voted to increase the maximum levy by 8.6%
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwOTI3LjY0Mjg5OTMxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDkyNy42NDI4OTkzMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDgxNjEzJmVtYWlsaWQ9Y2xpZnRAcHVibGljdXMubmV0JnVzZXJpZD1jbGlmdEBwdWJsaWN1cy5uZXQmZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&100&&&http://www.twincities.com/2016/09/24/stark-noecker-brendmoen-prince-why-we-voted-to-raise-st-pauls-levy/>
but the Mayor vetoed this
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwOTI3LjY0Mjg5OTMxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDkyNy42NDI4OTkzMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDgxNjEzJmVtYWlsaWQ9Y2xpZnRAcHVibGljdXMubmV0JnVzZXJpZD1jbGlmdEBwdWJsaWN1cy5uZXQmZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&101&&&https://www.stpaul.gov/news/mayor-coleman-vetoes-city-councils-decision-set-maximum-property-tax-levy-nearly-9-percent>
proposing a 7% increase, instead. I voted against the Council’s proposal,
because I felt it was too much of burden on homeowners, especially for our
seniors and in our low-income neighborhoods where the property values have
gone up.
Not only that, but other local governments have also proposed an increase
in the levy including Ramsey County and St. Paul Public Schools, further
placing the burden on our poorest neighbors. Finally, the people of Ward 1
and St. Paulites should not have to be punished with a higher tax levy
because the state failed to provide Local Government Aid money needed to
run cities across Minnesota, even though there's a State surplus.
Tomorrow, the Council will have to vote on overriding the Mayor’s veto,
requiring a fifth vote. I am reaching out to you for your thoughts and
insights to what increasing our maximum tax levy to 8.6% would be like for
Saint Paul residents and businesses. Please email, <email obscured>,
or call me, 651-266-8610. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kindly,
Dai Thao