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ENTHE FACTS ABOUT YOUR 2018 <br />COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES <br />Washington County Bo <br />The Washington County Board of Commissioners has been <br />reviewing a 2018 budget that would allow the county to <br />continue to serve a growing and aging population, and ad- <br />dress a growing demand for services. The budget is estimat- <br />ed to lead to a 1.4 percent reduction in the county property <br />tax rate, which would be the fourth year out of the last five <br />with a tax rate reduction. <br />and reviewing 2018 budget <br />The budget reflects increased funding for mandated servic- <br />es; road construction and preservation; the continuation of <br />a major crimes unit in the County Attorney's Office; tech- <br />nology improvements to ensure efficient operations; and the <br />return of the Lake Elmo Library to the county system. <br />2017 County Comparison of <br />$" Net Levy Per Capita <br />$600 <br />$400 $317 $ $376 <br />$200 <br />$0 <br />$513 <br />$S1 <br />$447 <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />we ae 0.#-A <br />The proposed 6.34 percent levy increase for county opera- <br />tions and 035 percent levy increase for the return of the <br />Lake Elmo Library, and corresponding tax rate reduction, <br />would result in an annual property tax increase for 2018 of <br />about $29 for the owner of the median valued home, which <br />is $257,000, assuming that home's value increased 4.9 per- <br />cent during the past year. <br />The public is invited to a 6 p.m. public hearing on the bud- <br />get Dec. 5 in the Board Room of the Government Center in <br />Stillwater. <br />$1,4°o <br />County Property Tax on $245,000 Home in 2017 S1,293 <br />$614 $1,200 <br />$1,000 $1,013 <br />$857 $893 <br />$825 <br />$800 $709 <br />600 <br />$40 <br />Key initiatives <br />The 2018 Washington County budget includes a number of <br />initiatives. They are: <br />• a robust road construction and preservation package; <br />• continuing the County Attorney's major crime prosecu- <br />tion unit to fight sex trafficking; <br />• additional public safety investment, including a new <br />dispatcher, new sheriff's records management system, <br />and public safety radio improvements; <br />• investments in library collections, equipment, and <br />/ / -A oe / / / <br />for 2018 budget <br />staffing, and the return of the Lake Elmo Library to the <br />county system; <br />• funding for additional child protection costs, which is <br />mandated by the state; <br />• funding for additional yard waste options for residents; <br />and <br />• additional information technology investments to pro- <br />tect data, secure systems, and increase efficiencies. <br />40 <br />