Chaska adopts 2026 maximum property tax levy to finish four‑year building program

The City of Chaska City Council adopted Resolution 2025-68 to set the proposed 2026 maximum property tax levy during its regular meeting. Council Member Graff made the motion to adopt the resolution and Council Member Hatfield seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote.

Matt, a city staff member presenting the budget, said the resolution is the council's first formal action on the 2026 budget and summarized key policy drivers: capture new growth in town, cover expenditure inflation, finish the fourth and final year of the building improvement program, sustain general fund reserves and fully fund capital maintenance (the city's CAMP program).

The levy proposal represents a 14.606% increase in the city's general fund and EDA levy, but staff emphasized that new construction and rising market values reduce the per-household impact. Staff estimated the net impact on a median-valued home would be about $172 annually (roughly $14.33 per month): about $85 of that for baseline operations and approximately $87 for the city's building program. The presentation noted the median home value figures used in the calculation and explained that much of the city's recent valuation increases are attributable to new construction rather than market changes on existing properties.

Why it matters: The levy funds the final year of a four-year building program that includes a new public safety facility, the municipal service building (MSB), a planned library project and a later City Hall remodel.…