News

Rural Legislative Forum to address property tax concerns

Around a dozen state legislators are gathering in Mankato Thursday to discuss how rapidly rising property taxes are challenging rural Minnesota.

Kent Thiesse serves on the planning committee for the Rural Legislative Forum and says several Senate and House members from southern Minnesota will be participating.

He tells Brownfield a bipartisan tax bill that included property tax relief was vetoed by Governor Dayton at the end of the 2015 Legislative Session.

“This legislation would’ve provided about a 40 percent property tax relief on the ag land portion.  Certainly in rural districts where in many cases, one-third to three-fourths or more of their total property value is in farmland, it’s a pretty big impact.”

Thiesse says a special session before the end of the calendar year is possible, and lawmakers could take up a tax bill at that time.

“And if that doesn’t happen, I’m sure there will be some efforts in the 2017 Session to try and revive this.  Again, this piece of legislation had strong support throughout the state.”

The 34^th annual Rural Legislative Forum is Thursday beginning at 4pm on the campus of South Central College in Mankato.