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Fridley board preliminarily certifies maximum levy; final vote expected in December
Summary
The Fridley Public School District board voted to preliminarily certify its maximum levy for fiscal 2027 after a presentation from the district's financial advisor; final certification will be taken at the December meeting and the county will spread the levy to property owners.
The Fridley Public School District Board of Education voted to preliminarily certify the district's maximum levy for fiscal 2027 after a presentation from the district's financial advisor.
Matthew Hammer, the district's financial advisor from Ehlers, told the board that state legislative changes this year are affecting levy calculations and that the Department of Education is still finalizing reports districts use to compute levies. "At this point in time, school districts are preliminarily certifying what we call the maximum," Hammer said, adding that many calculations remain pending at the state level and that all jurisdictions must certify a levy by Sept. 30.
The preliminary certification sets a ceiling that allows the state and county to complete enrollment- and formula-driven calculations, Hammer said. He reminded the board that the preliminary levy generates revenue for the district's fiscal 2027 budget and that a final certification will be presented to the board in December as part of the district's Truth-in-Taxation materials. "We'll bring a final certification to the board in December," he said.
Why it matters: certifying the maximum levy preserves the district's ability to receive full state and local allocations once state calculations are finalized and lets Anoka County include the district's levy on property tax statements mailed in November. Hammer said the board should not expect significant changes between the preliminary and final amounts but noted that enrollment adjustments and district-level tweaks could alter the final figure.
Board action: Board member Meissner moved to accept the preliminary levy certification; a second was offered by Anna. The board voted in favor by voice vote and the motion carried.
What comes next: The district will present a final levy certification at the board's December meeting and participate in the Truth-in-Taxation process before the county spreads the levy to property owners in their March tax statements.
Details from the meeting: Hammer emphasized that the levy is primarily driven by enrollment assumptions and statutory formulas and that the district's voters-approved levies have been included. He also noted that preliminary tax statements will go to property owners in November. No numeric levy totals were provided at the Sept. 16 meeting.
