[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6491868,"mediaKeyId","5676021-a00c881f0b421aa166b42f9203630893","parentId",5676021,"title","Washington County CDA proposes $7.08 million levy to support affordable housing, preservation and developer loans","audioSeconds",1262,"startMs",6276000,"endMs",7538000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5676021-a00c881f0b421aa166b42f9203630893&start=6276&end=7538","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5676021-a00c881f0b421aa166b42f9203630893/thumbnail_6276000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6491868/Washington-County/Minnesota/Washington-County-CDA-proposes-708-million-levy-to-support-affordable-housing-preservation-and-developer-loans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491868-b8537c897e14ff6a6f566eebc9919216/orig.mp4?Expires=1775236652&Signature=TsYfXHOcFUEQ3qpAcDMSZCNq5w-HB99-LEB6Xu1ozdwgq4EEbpMNvVvPN4z6zRu-B8~SX377liAPnVHcRg4fDWS6CZ9lYsU2dajN0~wWLiQARukA-ApKO4LuCwq5jz-BaizqON0IFy~5gmA8hZFB5Pwz5XgFQ92nEFY9OOVbUAwtEeg3SyJ7vz4Cn81masJuujuoS5we2dSv4oiwasAEHCjybx5PCNEvzKsBtmwXJvN6IhGBeiPh4Af2LdpYnrTB6AED5MX~zAPiiwfkAqGA9SXvw5t-kPen4F2mt45~1XDV-o2Y~oyHiz6dv40HUiP3dAqNBkWr8ImsWkr7W5tbaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington County","date","2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","article","Melissa Taphorn, executive director of the Washington County Community Development Agency, told the Washington County Board of Commissioners on July 29 that the CDA's proposed 2026 levy is $7,079,361, a 7.8% increase from 2025. Taphorn said the CDA operates as the county's housing and redevelopment authority, housing finance agency and public-housing agency and that its levy is separate from the county levy and certified under special taxing-district rules.

Why it matters: the CDA administers tenant-based rental assistance, operates more than 1,150 income- and rent-restricted apartments, runs homebuyer and homeowner programs, and provides loans and tax-credit financing for developer-led affordable housing projects. The agency's budget and levy decisions directly affect the supply and preservation of affordable housing and county-administered housing aid programs.

Key numbers and uses

- Proposed CDA levy for 2026: $7,079,361 (presented as a 7.8% increase).
- Total CDA budget presented: about $37,000,000 (includes business-type activities such as property management).
- Major revenue sources: ~45% grants (federal and state), ~$10.1 million in rental income, remainder from tax increment, investments and fees.
- Levy line items: operations/debt service coverage for CDA apartments (~$1.45M), general fund support for administrative/debt costs (~$149k), housing choice voucher administrative support, $2.0M proposed to the GROW local housing trust for loans and gap financing, and allocations for financial flexibility/ capital improvements and program staffing.

Programmatic priorities explained

- Preservation and new construction: $2.0 million was proposed for expanded housing opportunities through the GROW loan fund to provide subordinated debt and gap financing for developers and to encourage long-term affordability (30-50 year loan terms). Taphorn said CDA has active development interest at multiple sites, including projects that would produce hundreds of units when built.

- Operating needs: Taphorn said property-management costs (insurance and staffing) are increasing and the CDA budget includes a modest tenant rent increase proposal (drafted at 3%, with a cap contemplated at no more than 5%). She said the CDA is managing federal and state program uncertainties and expects that some federal HOME funds are at risk in the federal budgeting process.

- Tenant-based assistance: The CDA administers 284 housing choice vouchers and an additional ~400 portability vouchers for households who moved into the county. Taphorn said HUD administrative fees do not fully cover program costs; the CDA has trimmed some administrative costs because of new state rental-assistance programs that fund administration.

- Local housing aids and city funds: Taphorn described the state local affordable housing aid (LAHA) and state local housing aid (SAHA) funding arrangements and said that for 2026 the county's LAHA estimate used budgeting assumptions similar to 2025. CDA staff said they are coordinating with cities that receive LAHA funds and that several cities have chosen to allocate funds to CDA-administered programs (for example, home repair and gap financing).

Board discussion and next steps

Commissioners asked about program risks tied to federal CDBG and HOME funds and about the CDA's ability to respond quickly to development opportunities and preservation needs. Taphorn said the CDA aims to stay within statutory levy caps (the proposed levy is about 71% of the local cap) and use levy dollars to leverage state, federal and private financing. She asked the county board to provide feedback to the CDA board before the CDA certifies a preliminary levy in August; the CDA expects to return for levy certification in September and final levy in December.

No formal county board vote occurred on the CDA levy at the workshop; Taphorn noted the CDA board approves the CDA budget and sets the levy, then brings that decision to the county board for consent under statutory procedures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","County Board Meeting - July 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Washington County Community Development Agency (CDA) proposed a $7,079,361 2026 levy (a 7.8% increase) to support property management, tenant-based rental assistance, a local housing trust (GROW) and preservation and development loans, while noting uncertainty in federal HOME and CDBG funding streams.","taxTitle","Washington County, Minnesota","taxId",5010,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6491873,"Washington County presents $438 million recommended 2026 budget, proposes 6.95% levy increase",1761,128000,1889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5676021-a00c881f0b421aa166b42f9203630893&start=128&end=1889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5676021-a00c881f0b421aa166b42f9203630893/thumbnail_128000.jpg","/articles/6491873/Washington-County/Minnesota/Washington-County-presents-438-million-recommended-2026-budget-proposes-695-levy-increase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491873-b720fd6e5789495d8b2faee9e357e72c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775236652&Signature=bfk1~1D05K78~3BmeA9yNrb6yqVxEwhzneCwBGdRp5r9ta4cp2Kl~LzYpGaPLxrRiRFr7NaJvJEuHqL3kIfeQcf075mvHJOns6~3d28z1rrxfmmwOCU6l84FV6udVvpuTdezwimig28zUD-jTQO2pIBoiUdjeRuU6DWewWMq2qogUlZjcKG9woTOZ1F2nXEUihM6cd6uZEutCBH8qDGy1h8VX9~9iypovc-jKmxitOKZHunYR5cf0FQWP4fkF8uMUr8xi2RMkFqJqI~5IEzLqeOjSmFoJ8RrKAFN0x-b-FN66bfPMzZmEO-n26PBNp9Yt2Pl0NeVwIJMNkbiGbersA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Washington County Administrator Kevin Corbett presented the county's recommended $438,000,000 2026 budget on July 29 and asked the Board of Commissioners to begin review of a proposed 6.95% county levy increase. Corbett and Deputy Administrators Jan Lucky and Wagenius (Deputy Administrator) described the recommendation as focused on meeting existing obligations, completing capital commitments and stabilizing human-services programs facing growing wait lists.

The memo and slides provided to the board show that most of the year-over-year growth is in capital spending; administration said roughly $50 million of the $77 million total increase is capital and the remaining $27 million is operating. Deputy Administrator Lucky said the operating increase largely covers wages and benefits for existing staff, technology contract increases and targeted staffing to address program compliance and wait lists. She summarized the recommended levy proposal as 6.95% and said that translates to about a $50 annual increase on a median-value home in a sample scenario (about a 5.1% example change in a median bill), while noting actual homeowner impacts will vary by property and final levy decisions.

Why it matters: the recommended budget funds roads and bridges, libraries and parks, emergency housing operations and human services where federal and state funding shifts and new program requirements have increased workloads. County officials said the proposal attempts to protect long-term fiscal health by using one-time resources prudently, expanding use of a revocable trust to fund retiree health subsidies, and balancing pay-as-you-go and debt financing for capital projects.

Major revenue and levy details

- Total recommended county budget: $438,000,000 (administration's presentation).
- Proposed levy increase: 6.95% (presented as the recommended starting point for board review).
- Gross levy presentation: administration said a $165.338 million gross levy figure on the slides includes the county net levy, the land and water legacy levy, the regional rail levy and county program aid; county program aid of about $14.5 million materially reduces the net levy the county must set.
- New construction in Pay 2026 was estimated at about $886,000,000 in added taxable value for the county; median residential property value used as an example rose to about $423,700 from $416,000 in 2025.

Expenditure priorities and drivers

- Capital projects: Administration identified multiple large capital commitments in 2026, including a planned $115.5 million investment in road and bridge projects funded from a mix of state, federal and local sources and a large interchange project (Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue) that accounted for much of the capital-year increase. Park Grove Library construction cost was estimated at $18.3 million (up from $13.5 million in the prior plan); Stafford Library and a South Shop also show notable cost increases in preliminary planning.

- Human services: The recommended budget included new positions to reduce wait lists and address compliance risks in programs that county leaders said are currently out of compliance or experiencing long delays. Specific program staffing proposals discussed include 4 positions for SNAP administration (50% non-levy funded), 6 positions for MnCHOICES intake and reassessments (70% non-levy funded) and multiple community services positions offset by expiring special-project roles. Lucky noted the federal share of SNAP administrative costs will decline in 2026 (from 50% to 25%), and a partial-year impact is included in 2026 with full impacts expected in 2027.

- Employees and labor costs: Administration said more than 40% of the budget is wages and benefits and the recommendation builds typical wage and range adjustments into personnel cost estimates. The county will begin employer and employee contributions for the Minnesota Paid Leave program in 2026; administration estimated total premiums of about $1.2 million and said the recommended budget includes funding for 50% of the premium while final employer/employee splits will be determined in labor negotiations.

- Internal services and technology: The recommended budget funds a migration option for the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) and payroll; administration said migrating NebraskaGov/NEOGOV to a SaaS model was projected by a vendor analysis to be materially less costly over six years than a full ERP replacement and that a fit-gap analysis was underway. IT requested an additional endpoint computer support analyst (growing that team from 5 to 6) and noted rising software subscription costs (Microsoft increases were highlighted as nearly $200,000 higher before stabilizing). The capital technology fund balance was shown at roughly $5.1 million with a proposed 2026 program of about $5.4 million.

Other operational items

- Facilities and building operations: Administration proposed raising the county's internal rent charge to reflect increased building areas and higher repair needs; a 4.5% increase in internal rent was included to fund additional custodial and project-manager staffing and to increase the building repair account. One-time funding was proposed for a countywide library facility plan and to plan additional library open-access options.

- Roads and public works: To address staffing needed to deliver a larger capital program, the recommendation includes redirecting wheelage tax growth and part of existing wheelage tax revenue to fund 4.5 new positions in the road and bridge division.

Board questions and discussion

Commissioners asked about details and timing for the HRIS decision, the county's approach to Minnesota Paid Leave costs and the inclusion of Land and Water Legacy referendum analysis in the administrative budget. Administration said the HRIS fit-gap analysis and vendor report would be available by November and that the final HRIS decision could be delayed a year if necessary. Administration also said there would be closed-session labor negotiations and expected to negotiate employer/employee cost shares for paid leave before final budget adoption. Multiple commissioners requested workshops on the HRIS/finance system decision and further review of land-and-water funding and referendum analysis.

What was not decided

No formal board votes were taken during the workshop; administration presented the recommended budget and the board began question-and-answer and workshop discussion. The preliminary levy approval required by statute remains scheduled later in the process; administration noted the preliminary levy must be approved by September 30 and the final budget adoption is scheduled for December 16.

Ending note

Administration said department-level presentations and additional workshops will follow through August and September; the board will continue review of department requests and the preliminary levy before formal action later in the year.","County administrators presented a $438,000,000 recommended 2026 budget and a proposed 6.95% levy increase to the Washington County Board of Commissioners, citing capital projects, staffing to address human-services wait lists, technology upgrades and anticipated state and federal funding reductions as key drivers.","actionData","errors"]

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Washington County CDA proposes $7.08 million levy to support affordable housing, preservation and developer loans

Washington County presents $438 million recommended 2026 budget, proposes 6.95% levy increase