Rosemount City Council Approves 2012 Budget, Tax Levies

The Rosemount City Council unanimously approved the city's 2012 budget and tax levies at its regular meeting Tuesday night.

The city's 2012 budget has been set at $16.69 million, a .38 percent increase from 2011. The city prepared for higher fuel costs, increases in health insurance and uncertainty on salaries, according to the city.

For the fourth year in a row, city taxes will fall on the median-valued home in 2012. The median-valued home in Rosemount is set at a little over $200,000, according to City Administrator Dwight Johnson. 

Property taxes will decrease by about $35, and there has been an overall property tax decline of $201, or 19.3 percent, since 2008, according to Johnson.

Although actual tax capacity rates are estimated to increase 5.13 percent, the average homestead should see a property tax decrease of approximately 33 percent, said Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste. This decrease is due partially to dropping property values.  

According to city representatives, a city tax levy reduction of $529,000 or approximately 5.75 percent also contributes to the projected property tax decrease.

"Citizens are really coming out ahead because of the way the city has handled its levies," Jeff May, the city's finance director, said.