Central Minnesota Mayors Join Others in Blasting Unchecked State Spending as Property Taxes Surge

(KNSI) — Nearly 100 Minnesota mayors, including several from central Minnesota, have signed onto a letter blasting state legislators for what they call irresponsible spending, forcing cities to raise property taxes.

The mayors told lawmakers and Governor Tim Walz they’re frustrated watching an $18 billion surplus vanish in one budget cycle, only to be replaced by a projected $2.9 billion to $3 billion deficit heading into the 2028-29 biennium. They said fraud, unchecked spending and fiscal mismanagement at the Capitol have trickled down to cities, making it harder to plan budgets, maintain infrastructure and provide basic services without overburdening local taxpayers.

Preliminary data show cities statewide may raise property tax levies by an average of 8.7% for 2026, with counties up 8.1%.

According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue, locally projected increases in Benton County, including Foley, Gilman, Rice and Sauk Rapids, could see big jumps, with the largest in Rice at 12%. In Sherburne County, communities would see an average increase of 7.5%. In Stearns County, several communities have passed preliminary property tax increases, with the average being 10.6%. Stearns County adopted a 5.2% increase. St. Cloud’s property taxes went up for the first time in two decades by 4.49%. Cold Spring was mulling a 10.5% jump, but lowered that due to backlash from residents. Sauk Rapids also approved a preliminary 8.92% increase. Meanwhile, Sartell, whose Mayor Ryan Fitzhum is a signatory on the letter, will maintain a flat property tax rate for the fifth straight year.

The letter says those increases aren’t simply local decisions but stem directly from state policies, mandates and cost shifts that leave cities no choice but to pass the burden onto homeowners and businesses.

The document points to a recent Minnesota Chamber of Commerce report showing the state slipping in national economic rankings. Between 2019 and 2024, Minnesota ranked 33rd in GDP growth, 39th in job growth, 40th in labor force growth and 46th in median household income growth. Nearly 48,000 residents left the state between 2020 and 2024. The mayors say those numbers aren’t just statistics. They represent real pressures cities face, including workforce shortages, slowed business investment, rising costs and families leaving Minnesota.

The letter stressed that when the state expands programs or shifts responsibilities without stable funding, residents ultimately bear the cost. Cities are forced to choose between raising taxes, cutting services, delaying infrastructure projects or stretching staff even thinner. The strain now extends to public safety, making it harder for cities to hire the police officers and firefighters their communities need.

The mayors said Minnesotans expect responsible and transparent state budgeting, a regulatory and tax environment that supports jobs and economic growth, protection for taxpayers on fixed incomes, stability for local governments and long-term fiscal sustainability that doesn’t rely on one-time windfalls.

The letter closes by saying, “Our residents deserve better than deficits, economic decline and policies that push families and businesses away. 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.”

The letter urged the Legislature to course-correct and remember that every dollar it manages belongs to the people of Minnesota, not the Capitol.

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