By Shannon Fiecke

Scott County residents will pay nearly 10 percent more for their general county property tax next year.

The County Board Tuesday approved a levy increase that will raise the tax by 3.5 percent for the average $297,600 home, approximately $32 more than in 2007.

The 2008 county tax levy, which includes state government aid, will be $56.3 million, an 8.7 percent bump. When just local property taxes are considered, the net levy is $52.3 million, a 9.6 percent hike.

The $4.5 million tax increase will pay for the following new expenses:

• A 4.5 percent increase of $2.3 million for higher general operating expenses, including additional jail staff and $100,000 to bring county salaries to more competitive levels.

• $1 million extra for road improvements

• $1.2 million in debt payments on the new Cedar Lake park, the upgrade to digital emergency radio and a 94-mile fiber optic network, and a training facility for public safety officers.

Next year’s county tax increase will be a slightly higher bump for the average homeowner than this year’s increase, although the total local property taxes collected are growing at a slightly slower pace.

The total county operating budget for 2008 is $99 million. The two biggest chunks — about 44 percent — funds criminal justice and community services like public health, welfare and veteran services.

About 55 percent of the county’s operating revenue is from property taxes, said Scott County’s chief financial officer Kevin Ellsworth. The rest comes from a variety of sources, such as state and federal revenue, fines, licenses and permits.

Ellsworth reviewed the budget during a recent truth-in-taxation meeting, where residents were invited to ask questions and express concerns.

Due to a slowdown in construction, he said both a planner and inspector position were eliminated for 2008. The county was also able to cut two other staff positions due to a decline in clients at New Options, a program for developmentally disabled adults.

Meanwhile, the county is adding six corrections officers and one social worker, although the latter position should be cost-neutral due to additional state or federal funding.

Nearly all in attendance at the tax hearing actually had questions about their individual property values, concerns the county addresses through a formal process earlier in the year, before the tax levy is proposed.

One attendee from Shakopee, however, asked the County Board to be cautious about raising property taxes, given hard economic times.

He said governments must learn that people don’t have an unlimited supply of money.

Although he was the only one who came to the meeting, he said many others share his concerns. He said this was his first time attending the annual truth-in-taxation hearing.

By comparison

Scott County had proposed the second-highest tax increase of metro counties, just below Carver County’s. Even so, the county still ranks in the middle of the pack as far as how much it taxes per resident.

The county tax comes out to about $441 per resident, $23 less than the proposed state average. If all seven metro counties approve their proposed tax levies, Scott County would have the fourth-highest tax per resident: Hennepin, $525; Carver, $511; Ramsey, $471; Scott, $441; Washington, $356; Dakota, $316 and Anoka, $337.

Shakopee taxes

The Shakopee City Council is scheduled to approve its 2008 budget and tax levy next Tuesday.

The city has proposed raising total taxes by about 12 percent. However, there will actually be a slight reduction in the tax rate because the tax levy is shared across a tax base that has grown due to increasing taxable value. This means a house whose taxable value stays constant would pay about the same city property taxes in 2008.