City of Saint Peter announced proposed property tax increase

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The Saint Peter City Council approved a proposed tax levy increase of 6.9% for the coming fiscal year.

City Administrator Todd Prafke said the increase is subject to change, but they’re confident that will be the number.

“For the folks that have, as an example, a $250,000 house, this 6.9% means a little bit less than an $18 per year increase on their city property taxes,” Prafke explained.

That would result in an increase of around $300,000 in the city’s budget.

Prafke continued, “We are ensuring we can finance and put together some of the infrastructure things going forward.”

Prafke said these improvement plans are thought out years in advance. They’re preparing for costs that will come with their new city hall, road repairs, a new police officer and more.

“The council believes that those are really high priorities for needs and wants for the people that live here and utilize our parks and our streets and all of those things,” Prafke said.

As mentioned before, this 6.9% is subject to change but it will not go any higher than that.

Mayor Shanon Nowell says transparency to the citizens of Saint Peter is their top priority.

“We really want the public to be informed, to be able to have the opportunities to ask questions,” Nowell said. “Just like we do as council members. We live here; we’re taxpayers as well.”

Nowell has heard people reference St. Peter as a quote ‘luxury community’ but that is not her or the council’s vision.

“[We want to] keep taxes as low as we can while still providing all the resources that residents need and maintaining the infrastructure that we have here in Saint Peter,” Nowell said.

The final adoption of the proposed tax levy will be presented to Saint Peter City council this coming December.

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