At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, the Wright County Board of Commissioner will meet in special session to discuss the 2021 draft budget and certified levy – a meeting often called a Truth in Taxation hearing. Wright County Assessor Tony Rasmuson wants residents to be aware that the meeting is a function of the Wright County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office and the County Board of Commissioners, not a forum for residents to dispute their property valuations. Rasmuson has provided the following message to residents:
A Message from Wright County Assessor Tony Rasmuson
The Truth in Taxation Notices, which are a function of the Auditor’s office, will be mailed out today (Friday, Nov.13). Anyone who owns taxable property in Wright County will be receiving the notices in the upcoming days. This notice is statutorily required as are the annual TNT meetings which must be held between November 25 and December 28 by all taxing authorities to adopt and certify the proposed and final property tax levy.
This is a budgetary meeting which addresses the spending by local elected officials and the public has the ability to participate. It is not a meeting that you attend to contest valuation or classification. The values and classifications were set last spring with appeal options throughout April, May and June. Following those appeal opportunities, the values and classifications are certified and tax capacity is calculated. From that point the auditor’s office calculates the estimated property tax for 2021 based on the budgets that are set by the local taxing authorities. While we often field many questions at this time of year it would be nice to provide some education to avoid frustrations by those who are simply told if you are worried about your value talk to the Assessor. At this point, it is too late as these values are finalized (other than going to court). Tax increases would not occur if spending did not increase regardless of what happens with the valuation of a property.
That being said, we are ALWAYS available to help those with valid concerns regarding the values or classifications. We just feel it is necessary to educate people on the true purpose of these notices and meetings. At this point, the value and classification discussion is over for the property taxes payable in 2021.
More information on Truth in Taxation processes can be found at: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/issinfo/TnT.aspx?src=21#:~:text=%22Truth%20in%20taxation%22%20%28TnT%29%20is%20a%20process%20first,adopted%2C%20may%20not%20exceed%20the%20proposed%20levy.%201.