League of Women Voters Roseville Area hosted a program demystifying property taxes ahead of Oct. 15 deadline
By Sherry Hood
Property owners across Minnesota have until October 15 to settle the second half of their 2026 property tax bill, a financial checkpoint for households amid broader cost-of-living and inflation pressures.
To help us understand property taxes, the League of Women Voters Roseville Area, alongside other Ramsey County chapters, presented a program to the public at the Ramsey County Library Roseville branch on Sunday.
Tracy West, Ramsey County Auditor and Director of Property Tax, Records and Election Services, broke down how local property tax bills are determined before the October deadline.
West said that a property tax bill is not simply a percentage of a home’s value. Instead, Minnesota uses “a system that considers your property’s value, its classification, the overall tax base and the amount of money each local government needs to raise.”
There are five steps to calculating a property tax bill, West explained:
- Your property is given a value. The assessor determines the Estimated Market Value (EMV) based on values such as property characteristics, sales values and market conditions. EMV is not necessarily the same as what you paid for the house, your mortgage balance or insurance value.
- Your taxable base is determined. Certain reductions may affect the amount of your property’s value that is taxed.
- Tax capacity is calculated. Your taxable market value is multiplied by the state-established class rate for your type of property. As an example, a typical homestead in the first tier has a 1% class rate in 2026.
- Tax rates are determined. Counties, school districts, cities and other jurisdictions determine how much revenue they need to raise through property taxes.
- Your tax bill is calculated. Your property tax bill is multiplied by the applicable rate. In 2026, that is 1%. Your final bill can also include credits, refunds, special assessments and other applicable charges.
West also answered other key questions regarding property taxes:
Who keeps track of property tax values?
- Counties
- Cities and townships
- School districts
- Other districts, such as watershed districts
- Special assessments
What are reasons that a property tax bill can change?
- Your tax bill can change for several reasons. Your bill may be affected by a change in your property’s value or classification.
- A change in your homestead status.
- A change in other properties’ values
- A change in county, city, school districts or other jurisdiction levies.
- A change to credits, exemptions, refunds or other programs.
- A new or changed special assessment.
In summary, your property tax bill is your property’s share of tax revenue needed to fund local government services, like police and fire services, based on your property’s taxable value and classification, compared with the overall taxable property in a particular taxing jurisdiction.
