Residents expressed unhappiness with rapidly increasing property taxes during its Monday night public meeting

by Monica Gallagher

The Roseville City Council unanimously approved the city budget for 2026 on Monday at their final meeting of the year. The budget totals to $82,818,474.

During the public comment period, all who spoke were homeowners expressing distinct unhappiness with another year of rapidly increasing property taxes. Most who spoke were older adults who said they had been Roseville residents and homeowners for decades.

One cited a 17.8% property tax increase on his Gluek Lane home with no home improvements. Another cited a 25.5% property tax for the most recent year on his home. Another older homeowner blinked away tears as she shared that her property taxes are up 38% and she does not know how she can afford the increases.

Franchise fees, monthly fees paid by all gas and electric utility users in Roseville, make up $1.63 million of the budget. Although franchise fees are paid by many communities around Roseville, this funding strategy is a new one for the city.

For owners of a median value home in Roseville ($378,600) the combination of franchise fees of $6 per month combined with a 7.59% levy will cost them an additional $228.12 per year in 2026. Utility users will pay an additional $3 per month for gas and $3 per month for electricity, regardless of whether or not they own property.

Council members explained that shifting part of the funding to all utility users is a way of trying to keep down the rate of increase on Roseville property owners facing rapidly increasing percentages in tax levy costs over the past several years.

The new budget also includes greater investment in public safety, including increased staffing for the police and fire departments.

To explain the increase in public safety funding, the largest budget category, council members shared that police have received 2,000 more reports between 2021 and 2024 than the prior three year period. They added that the fire department sometimes struggles to provide adequate coverage when multiple calls come in at the same time.

Council member Julie Strahan emphasized that a 2026 Minnesota law providing paid family leave is an additional reason to prioritize adequate public safety staffing as City employees use their new benefit for its intended medical or caregiving purposes.