Property taxes are increasing across Minnesota. Not surprisingly, a poll for Alpha News:
…found that 60% of those surveyed are very concerned about rising property taxes; another 27% of respondents said they are somewhat concerned.
…
Taken together, a combined 87% of respondents are either somewhat concerned or very concerned by increasing property taxes. The remaining 12% of those surveyed are either not very concerned, or not at all concerned, by rising property taxes.
Who is responsible for this? Recently, I noted the impacts of measures contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) which will entail higher costs for Medicaid provision in Minnesota’s counties. I also noted that Minnesota’s state government bears some responsibility for the rising costs facing local governments in the shape of “unfunded mandates” which are “any policy or requirement that is created by legislation without sufficient funding to cover the cost of implementation.”
In a letter published Monday, a group of 98 Minnesota mayors identified these pressures from state government as the primary driver of the property tax hikes facing Minnesotans. “[M]any Minnesota cities are confronting significant property tax levy pressures,” the mayors write. “Preliminary statewide data, on average, for 2026 shows cities may raise levies by up to 8.7%, with counties up to 8.1%. These increases are not simply local decisions; they stem directly from state policies, mandates, and cost shifts that leave cities with no choice but to pass these burdens onto homeowners and businesses.”
They continue:
As mayors, we are committed to responsible budgeting, fiscal restraint, and delivering high-quality local services. Yet there is a growing disconnect between state-level fiscal decisions and the strain they place on the cities we lead. When the state expands programs or shifts responsibilities without stable funding, it is our residents—families, seniors, businesses, and workers—who ultimately bear the cost.
Cities are the level of government closest to the people, responding when snowplows don’t arrive, when streetlights or water mains fail, when businesses need permitting help, or when seniors seek support. Every unfunded mandate or cost shift forces us into difficult choices: raise taxes, cut services, delay infrastructure, or stretch thin city staff even further. This strain now extends to the very core of community safety—our police officers and firefighters. They are the frontline protection for our residents, yet rising levies and state-imposed costs are making it increasingly difficult for cities to invest in the additional public safety staff our communities genuinely need to stay safe.
“We, as mayors, can only support our cities for so long before the heavy hand of state mandates and financial pressure demands more than our communities can provide,” they conclude. The battle to get Minnesota’s finances under control won’t only be fought in St. Paul, but in county and city halls across the state.
