St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter calls for 15% property tax hike - Axios Twin CitiesLog InLog InAxios Twin Cities is an Axios company.

St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter calls for 15% property tax hike

Screenshot via City of St. Paul YouTube page St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter wants to raise the property tax levy by roughly 15% to pay for road upgrades, public safety initiatives and dozens of new roles across city departments. The big picture: Carter's , unveiled yesterday, outlines $782 million in proposed spending. General fund spending on city agencies would increase nearly 9%, to $352 million. About half of the property tax levy hike — roughly $13.5 million — would go toward routine road maintenance that was previously covered by fees and assessments. What it means for you: The increase in property tax collections would translate to an additional $19.25 a month — $231 a year — for owners of a median-priced home, per the mayor's office. Between the lines: A May court ruling left it with a $15 million budget hole, leading the city to propose paying for such road work via property taxes. Zoom in: Carter's proposal calls for staff increases for many departments, including police (763 to 782), fire (496 to 504) and parks (595 to 608). It also calls for additional funding for overdue maintenance of city properties and programs to help gun violence survivors and the homeless population. Yes, and: The mayor wants to create a new "inheritance fund" aimed at providing forgivable home loans of up to $100,000 to low-income residents whose families were impacted . What's next: The mayor's pitch is just one step in a lengthy budget process.The City Council and mayor will come up with a final tax and spending plan in the coming months. ICYMI: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey . Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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