Roseville homeowner sounds alarm over 35% property tax increase

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    Property tax sticker shock for Roseville residents 

Many Minnesotans are dealing with sticker shock after receiving their proposed property taxes in the mail over the last few weeks.

RELATED: Which Minnesota cities are facing the biggest property tax hikes?

David Lankinen, who lives in Roseville, just learned that his property taxes are expected to increase by 35% next year.

“I’m totally at a loss for words,” said Lankinen. “10% would be acceptable, but 35%? It’s an increase of over $1,100.”

The proposed property tax mailing he received includes increases from Ramsey County, the City of Roseville, the local school district, and more.

Lankinen said he lives in a 640-square-foot home with two bedrooms that has not been renovated.

He is retired and disabled and worries he can no longer afford to stay in his long-time family home due to the rising taxes.

“I wanted to retire there, live my elderly years out there in peace and quiet, don’t bother anybody, just stay to myself. Well, looks like that ain’t gonna happen,” Lankinen said.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crunched data from Ramsey County and found 52% of homeowners in Roseville are expected to see a 0-10% increase in their total property taxes next year, while 40% will see a 10-20% increase.

Only a small fraction, about 1.5% could see more than a 30% jump in property taxes.

“Generally, people should expect their tax bills to go up with inflation,” said Christopher Phelan, an economics professor at the University of Minnesota.

He advises residents to examine their proposed property taxes closely and voice any concerns about rising taxes to jurisdictions with the largest increases.

“I would look to see how much has spending gone up? You would expect spending to go up every year just because of inflation, but if it’s gone up more than inflation, then you want to know why,” Phelan said.

Lankinen plans to attend public comment sessions for the City of Roseville and Ramsey County next week to address his concerns.

“It’s always easy to spend someone else’s money,” said Lankinen. “We need someone in elected offices who are custodians of the taxpayer’s dollar.”

The City of Roseville sent KSTP the following statement:

“The city is sensitive to the impact of property taxes on our residents and businesses.  Each year, we look to control costs while still providing the services our residents have come to expect. That includes maintenance and plowing of roads; safe and reliable water and sewer utilities; police and fire services; and parks and recreational facilities.

In Roseville, we are making a significant investment in public safety in 2026 in response to increased calls for service.  We are currently considering several different 2026 budget scenarios that would be lower than our preliminary levy of 12%. After the preliminary levy was passed this fall, city leaders were notified in October that Roseville has been awarded $4.4 million in federal police and fire grants. We are optimistic that those federal grants will provide some relief for city taxpayers when the final budget is passed later this month.”
Patrick Trudgeon, Roseville City Manager

The post Roseville homeowner sounds alarm over 35% property tax increase first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.