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Oakdale adopts 2025 property tax levy and budgets after Truth in Taxation presentation
Summary
Following a Truth in Taxation presentation from Finance Director Kyle Stasica, the Oakdale City Council voted to adopt a 2025 property tax levy reduced for presentation to a 5.9% increase and approved the city—s 2025 operating and capital budgets.
Mayor Zabel opened the Truth in Taxation hearing Tuesday and invited Finance Director Kyle Stasica to review Oakdale—s proposed 2025 levy and budget. "The proposed levy tonight has since been decreased to 5.9% increase from 2024," Stasica said during his presentation, which the council used as the basis for final budget consideration.
The presentation outlined key assumptions and the budget—s main components. Stasica said Washington County—s assessed values were up about 1.5% overall for 2024, with the median residential property value estimated at $337,800. He described the levy split as roughly $15 million for the general fund, just under $2 million for capital improvements, and just over $2 million for debt service, and said the total levy is ``just over $19,000,000." Stasica also listed planned investments tied to the levy: one new licensed police sergeant, replacement patrol and community-service vehicles, funding for a full-career fire department and a new fire marshal, and modest increases in administrative staffing.
Mayor Zabel emphasized transparency and public access to the budget materials: "We have absolutely nothing to hide," she said, encouraging residents to review the digital budget book and contact finance staff with questions.
After closing the public hearing with no members of the public speaking, Councilmember Ingebretson moved to waive reading and adopt Resolution 2024-114 adopting the 2025 property tax levy and the 2025 general fund, special revenue, debt service, and enterprise budgets. The motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote.
The council—s adoption finalizes the levy as presented and authorizes staff to proceed with the 2025 budget and related spending plans; Stasica noted that the proposed levy had been reduced from the amount previously certified in September to the 5.9% used in Tuesday—s presentation.
Next steps: the approved budgets and levy will be incorporated into the city—s financial documents for 2025 and the finance department remains the contact point for residents with questions about individual tax statements or assessment values.
(Reporting note: amounts and percentages are drawn from the council presentation slides and in-meeting remarks. Where the transcript contains inconsistent numeric transcriptions for specific sample-calculation lines, the article uses the figures clearly presented by the finance director in his budget overview.)
