Washington County property taxes to drop for some residents, increase for businesses

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A wide swath of Washington County’s residential property taxpayers will see their county tax bills shrink next year, county finance officials said recently.

Nearly 96,000 Truth in Taxation notices were mailed to county residents earlier this month totaling $375.4 million in property tax revenue in 2013.

Almost two-thirds of residential homestead properties will pay less next year, budget analyst Joanne Helm told Washington County Board members in a Nov. 20 workshop.

Owners of commercial and apartment properties, however, will both see their tax burdens increase under the preliminary 2013 property tax levy and budget set by the Washington County Board in September and expected to be approved in December.

That, officials said, is due largely to a shifting tax burden from residential properties to commercial ones and a more than 3-percent increase in the state commercial property tax rate.

Taxpayers can voice questions and concerns at a Truth in Taxation hearing beginning at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 in the county board room of the Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd St. N., in Stillwater.

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